MOSCOW (Reuters) - Twelve Russians who could face long prison terms over clashes with police at a protest against President Vladimir Putin go before a judge on Thursday, in a case Kremlin critics liken to Soviet-era show trials of dissidents.
The pre-trial hearing in the "Bolotnaya" case, named for the Moscow square where violence broke out at a rally the day before Putin was sworn in for his third term in May 2012, opens a new page in what his foes say is a determined clampdown on dissent.
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