[JURIST] A Russian court ruled against former chess champion and liberal United Civil Front [party website, in Russian] leader Garry Kasparov [personal website, in Russian] Monday, denying Kasparov's appeal and ordering him to serve a five day jail sentence [JURIST report] for organizing an unsanctioned protest against Russian President Vladimir Putin [official website] and resisting arrest. Kasparov says he complied with police and maintains that his arrest was illegal.

In April, Kasparov accused police of brutality after being arrested [JURIST reports] at a similar rally. Kasparov and fellow opposition leader former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov [BBC profile] have strongly criticized Putin and his allies in the run-up to December parliamentary elections and the March 2008 presidential election. Kasparov has accused Putin of instituting a police state and creating a puppet judiciary [JURIST report] to persecute opposition leaders. AP has more.