EMBEZZLER ON THE LAM.

A Moscow City Duma deputy, wanted by the MVD for misappropriation of public funds, has apparently fled the country. Svetlana Zhuravleva, who was a saleswoman before being elected to the City Duma, allegedly stole tens of millions of dollars from financial institutions and escaped to the United States. The MVD said that Zhuravleva had long been wanted for swindling activities, her election as a deputy had given her immunity from prosecution. Minister of Internal Affairs Anatoly Kulikov revealed that last year, Russian law enforcement agencies sought waivers of immunity for requested that 350 legislators across the country but succeeded in only a handful of cases, mainly in the outlying regions. (10)

Lithuania for Indivisible Security.