Russia convicts red flag fan

Russia convicts red flag fan

Moscow, Russia, Jun. 5 (UPI) — A Russian communist has been convicted
of throwing down Russia’s flag and replacing it with the old Soviet
one, the Moscow Times reported Friday.

Armen Beniaminov (a.k.a. Benyaminyan) was convicted in the Tverskoi
district court of desecrating the Russian flag and given a one year
suspended sentence, the paper said.

On Nov. 7, 2003, Beniaminov climbed on to the roof of the State Duma,
the main chamber of the Russian parliament, and threw the Russian
national flag to the ground, prosecutors said. They said he replaced
it with the old Red Flag of the Soviet Union that disintegrated at
the end of 1991.

Beniaminov told the court he respected the new Russian flag, but addedm
“I just wanted to make sure that the authorities do not forget our
history,” the Moscow Times said.

United Press International