俄警方沒收普京身穿女士內衣畫像

Police seized a painting of Russia's president and prime minister in women's underwear from a gallery in St Petersburg, saying the satirical display had broken unspecified laws.

The officers also removed a picture of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, his torso covered in tattoos, and two others poking fun at lawmakers who have backed legislation banning so-called gay propaganda, gallery staff said.

The police service said it had taken paintings from the "Museum of Power" gallery - based in two rooms of a flat - late on Monday after receiving reports they were illegal.

It gave no further detail but Russia does have a law against insulting authorities - an offence that carries a maximum one-year prison term.

One painting showed president Vladimir Putin wearing a tight-fitting slip and brushing the hair of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who is wearing knickers and a bra.

St Petersburg deputy Vitaly Mironov, whose face was combined with the gay rights movement's rainbow flag in one of the paintings, told Reuters the images were inappropriate and "of a distinctly pornographic character".

St Petersburg, which next week hosts world leaders at a G20 summit, was one of the first Russian cities to introduce a law banning the spread of "gay propaganda".

The Russian parliament has also adopted similar legislation, prompting protests from abroad and calls for a boycott of the Winter Olympics which Russia will host in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in February.

Gallery owner Alexander Donskoy said the officers had also shut down his establishment and have him no explanation for the removal of paintings from the exhibition, titled 'Leaders'.

"This is an (illegal) seizure," he told Reuters. "We have been given no formal documents banning us from operating and no receipt confirming our petty cash was seized."據路透社報道，俄羅斯警方日前在聖彼得堡一家博物館沒收了幾件展品，其中包括酷似普京和梅得韋傑夫的畫像。

據警方透露，在收到舉報後，他們於8月26日晚從“權力博物館”的畫廊收走了這些畫作。

其中一幅題爲“滑稽”的作品惡搞俄羅斯總統普京和總理梅德韋傑夫，一向以強人形象示人的普京總統在畫面上身穿緊身吊帶內衣，正在爲身穿女士內褲和胸罩的梅得韋傑夫梳頭。

聖彼得堡議員維塔利·米羅諾夫也成爲畫家描繪的對象，只是臉上被畫上同性戀權力運動的彩虹旗。米羅諾夫不滿地說，這些肖像不合適，“顯然具有淫穢性質”。

俄羅斯法律禁止侮辱政府官員，違者可判有期徒刑一年。

畫廊主人亞歷山大·東斯科伊說，警方沒有向他解釋查沒這些繪畫的原因。

將於下週主辦G20峯會的聖彼得堡是俄羅斯第一個頒佈法律禁止傳播“同性戀宣傳”的城市。俄羅斯議會也通過了類似法規，因而引發國外抗議。有人還呼籲聯合抵制俄羅斯明年2月在黑海度假勝地索契主辦的冬季奧運會。