Russian Nationalist Flees To Lithuania To Avoid Prosecution

Russian nationalist activist Yury Gorsky has fled his country for Lithuania less than two days after a Moscow court placed him under house arrest pending trial on charges of inciting hatred.

Gorsky wrote on Facebook that he had managed to cross the Russian-Lithuanian border during the night of July 8-9.

On July 7, a court in Moscow ruled that Gorsky be placed under house arrest for two months while investigation against him was under way.

Gorsky was detained on July 3 near the Moscow City Court where hearings into an appeal by jailed Russian nationalist Dmitry Dyomushkin were being held. Gorsky was then charged with publicly calling for extremist actions.

On May 1, Gorsky organized an unsanctioned march in Moscow to support Dyomushkin.

Gorsky has gained prominence for his role in organizing Russian nationalist marches in Moscow -- known by the name Russian March -- in recent years.

In April, Dyomushkin was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison on charges of posting extremist material on the Internet.