Top Democrat Criticizes Russia Treatment Of Opponents

Lantos heads a key foreign relations panel (epa) May 18, 2007 -- The chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives' Foreign Affairs Committee is urging the United States to speak out against the Russian government's treatment of opponents.

Democratic Congressman Tom Lantos criticized at a May 17 hearing moves by Russian President Vladimir Putin that he said "threatened to send the country back to its authoritarian past."

Lantos said he was "profoundly disturbed" by Putin's pattern "of abuse and repression of dissidents, independent journalists, and, in fact anyone who opposes him."

(AP)