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Protests and sexual harassment arrest overshadow Medvedev visit to Amsterdam

Thu, Jun 25 2009 12:38 CET 1621 Views 1 Comment
Protests and sexual harassment arrest overshadow Medvedev visit to Amsterdam

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signs the guestbook, as Dutch Queen Beatrix, left, Hermitage St. Petersburg director Mikhail Piotrovsky, 2nd from the left, and Hermitage Amsterdam Director Ernst Veen, 2nd from the right, watch, at the opening of the new Dutch branch of the Hermitage in Amsterdam June 19, 2009.

Photo: Toussaint Kluiters/United Photos

Protests and sexual harassment arrest overshadow Medvedev visit to Amsterdam

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev tours the "At the Russian Court" exhibition after the opening ceremony of the Hermitage Museum in Amsterdam, June 19, 2009.
Photo: Toussaint Kluiters/United Photos

Protests and sexual harassment arrest overshadow Medvedev visit to Amsterdam

The Netherlands' Queen Beatrix and Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev, left, tour the "At the Russian Court" exhibition after the opening ceremony of the Hermitage Museum in Amsterdam, June 19, 2009.
Photo: Toussaint Kluiters/United Photos

Police in The Netherlands had arrested one of the staff members who accompanied Russian president Dmitri Medvedev on his visit to Amsterdam, on accusations of sexually harassing a 19-year-old hotel employee.

The arrest had been made on June 20. The man was fined and released after he paid his fine plus a compensation to the victim, local media said.

Dutch media said the man was thought to have been one of Medvedev's bodyguards.

The Dutch foreign affairs ministry had decided to let the public prosecutor handle the affair and did not think it serious enough to file a formal complaint, Dutch daily De Volkskrant said.

Medvedev was in Amsterdam for the opening of the Hermitage museum in that city on June 19.

The opening was performed by Medvedev together with Dutch Queen Beatrix, in the presence of crown-prince Willem-Alexander, princess Máxima en Svetlana Medvedeva, as well as Ernst Veen, director of the Hermitage Amsterdam and Michail Piotrovski, of the Hermitage St. Petersburg.

The museum in Amsterdam opened after a two-year renovation and will show parts of the Russian collection.

According to Dutch daily NRC, the Russian immigrant community in The Netherlands was not present at the opening. Outside the museum there had been several protestors carrying portraits of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who was murdered in 2006. The protestors accused former Russian president Putin and current president Medvedev of silencing crititics, NRC said.

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AnonymousJohn SmithFri, Aug 21 2009 16:34 CET

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