The Russian Supreme Court's appeals board on Tuesday confirmed the legality of the court's refusal to consider complaints filed by two Muscovites against the dismissal of former mayor Yury Luzhkov.
The court thus rejected complaints from Alexei Leonov and Anatoly Lemeshev, whose lawsuits it had refused to consider in early October.
Long-serving Luzhkov, 74, was fired by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's decree on September 28 after weeks of speculation about his worsening relations with the Kremlin and his imminent resignation or dismissal. New mayor Sergei Sobyanin took office October 21.
In their lawsuits, Leonov and Lemeshev said the dismissal decree was illegal and a violation of the Constitution. In particular, Leonov said the decree "violates" his "rights as a Moscow resident."
But the appeals board's presiding judge, Alexander Fedin, cited Luzhkov, who earlier said he did not intend to appeal the decree.
"Will we have to force Luzhkov to fulfill his duties [if he is restored as mayor]?" the judge asked.
MOSCOW, November 2 (RIA Novosti)
