MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian courts jailed one of the organizers of opposition protests for 10 days, fined another and gave the husband of a third a five-year prison term for fraud on Thursday in rulings the opposition said were a warning signal from Vladimir Putin.The punishments fuelled anger over what Putin's critics say is a corrupt judicial system and are likely to heighten opposition fears of a crackdown following his election to a new six-year term as president on March 4.
"The authorities are sending the latest signal," Garry Kasparov, a liberal opposition leader and former world chess champion, told Ekho Moskvy radio station.
"People who continue to hope for some illusory political reforms ... are once again being reminded that Putin will rule without a glance at any laws, let alone at public demonstrations in Moscow." Read More
