Navalny's supporter expelled from university after rally in Stavropol

Pyotr Istomin, a staff member of Alexei Navalny's office in Stavropol, has been expelled from the North-Caucasian Federal University (NCFU) for taking part in opposition actions, the office has stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 5, in Stavropol, about 200 people took part in the All-Russian action "He is not our tsar"; they expressed their disagreement with the outcomes of the presidential election in Russia.

A petition to expel Pyotr Istomin from the NCFU was submitted to its rector on April 28, well before the action "He is not our tsar", the Navalny's regional office has reported. Then, activists treated it as an attempt to intimidate Istomin before the May 5 action. "Pyotr was not frightened and even made a speech at the rally, in which he urged other students not to be afraid and fight for their rights," the office has stated.

Today, Pyotr Istomin received an order for his expulsion; this order will be appealed against in court, the office has informed. "Such a step taken by the university administration is illegal and obviously politicized; given the fact that Pyotr is an absolutely excellent student (a round high achiever), the university bosses simply have no legal grounds to expel him," says a statement posted the group "Navalny's Team. Stavropol" in the social network "VKontakte".

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.