Andrey Purgin is under arrest

The ex-speaker of the parliament of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic Andrei Purgin is under arrest, RIA Novosti reports with reference to the Deputy of the People’s Council of the DPR Ellada Shaftner. "Andrei Evgenievich Purgin and his wife Elena Alekseevna are now in the MGB," said Shaftner.

“No accusations were put forward yesterday or today. Moreover, on Friday, when he was arrested, even the Prosecutor General’s Office did not know that such actions were being performed,” Shaftner said.

Earlier, reports appeared on social networks that after removal from the post of Purgin, they shot. The Ministry of State Security of the DPR stated that it is investigating the head of the parliament of the Parliament, Aleksandrov’s head of the apparatus, appointed by Purgin.

On September 5, Purgin was set aside from the post of speaker of the People’s Council of the DPR. His place was taken by the former vice speaker Denis Pushilin.

The decision to shift Purgin was made by the "vast majority of the votes of the deputies." Pushilin said that the resignation is associated with an attempt to disrupt the meeting of the parliament.

With his first order, Pushilin resigned the "head of the apparatus of the People’s Council" Alexei Alexandrov. "Instead of the proper performance of official duties, Alexei Georgievich made a number of political statements that are contrary to the policy of the entire state. To my great regret, the chairman of the People’s Council Andrei Purgin fell under the influence of this person," Pushilin said. Alexandrov was prohibited from entering the DPR.

The "Ministry of State Security" of the DPR began the investigation "in relation to a number of unlawful actions" Alexandrov. The MGB said that on Friday, Alexandrov tried to get into the territory of the DPR. "Purgin with a group of deputies, taking advantage of the deputy immunity, contributed to the illegal crossing of the border by Alexandrov A.G. and currently contribute to its shelter from the justice authorities, - according to these facts, an investigation is being conducted."

The leader of the "other Russia" Eduard Limonov reports that Purgin and his wife were arrested. Aleksandrova is looking for. Earlier, Purgina and Alexandrov, who returned from Russia, tried not to put into the territory of the DPR. They still crossed the border, but later Purgin was detained in the Makeevka area. According to Limonov, the deputies of Purgin’s supporters were not allowed into the hall of Parliament. The building itself was surrounded by employees of the MGB. “The deputies were said that the resignation of Purgin is a direct instruction of the Kremlin,” Limonov quotes his sources.

Later, "Head of the Administration of the head of the DPR" Maxim Leshchenko denied reports of the arrest of Purgin, reports Interfax. “Purgin is now at home,” said Leshchenko. “He remains a deputy.”

About a hundred people held a rally in the center of Donetsk in the defense of Purgin.

Pushilin previously held the post of vice-speaker of the Parliament and at the same time was the "envoy of the DPR" at the negotiations of the contact group in Ukraine in Minsk.

On July 2, the head of the DPR, Alexander Zakharchenko, announced the holding of local elections on October 18 in the self -proclaimed republic. He assured that they will pass "in compliance with the relevant OSCE standards during monitoring by the OSCE OSCE and other international organizations."

Then Zakharchenko introduced a special regime of self -government into the DPR, the individual conditions of which are provided for by the Law of Ukraine on the special status of Donbass, the Minsk agreements, as well as the draft amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine proposed by the militants. The leader of the militants explained such measures by the fact that the legal authorities of Ukraine allegedly left the "Minsk peace process." In these conditions, Zakharchenko concluded, the DPR is forced to independently begin to fulfill the agreements reached in Minsk.

On August 19, it was reported that the DPR leaders are preparing a referendum on the accession of the territory they controlled to Russia as a separate subject of the Federation.

On Friday, Kommersant, citing sources in Western diplomatic circles, said that the European Union and the United States are considering the possibility of imposing new sanctions against Russia . New measures will be taken if the authorities of the self -proclaimed DPR and LPR refuse to hold local elections on October 25, simultaneously with general Ukrainian.