The Russian Lower House voted for expelling the opposition deputy Gennady Gudkov of his mandate on Friday.

      The results of the vote had 291 deputies for removing Gudkov's mandate and 153 against, the secret ballot showed. Fair Russia and the Communist Party supported the deputy, while the United Russian and the Liberal Democratic Party voted for his removal.

      Gennady Gudkov was accused by officials of allegedly owning a business (deputies in Russia are not allowed to be businessmen). Gudkov, however, claims he is a victim of a pro-Kremlin propaganda, after he participated in protest rallies in Moscow earlier this year. He also says that many deputies in the Russian Lower House have their own business, but their loyality for current authorities defends them from the prosecution.

      "I am embarrassed for the authorities, for the country which has seen everything. I do not need this mandate, I am ready to leave, but I will return to build a new Russia, one which people will be proud of. This will be very soon," Gudkov said in his last statement in front of State Duma deputies.

      Gudkov was first elected to the State Duma in 2001 by an independent constituency, was a member of the United Russia party till 2007, then switched camps to Fair Russia and was re-elected in 2011. When the protest movement broke out in Moscow last December, he together with his son Dmitry, also a State Duma deputy with Fair Russia, was one of the most active officials to support protesters.

      In September, the Russian Investigative Committee claimed that Gudkov was managing a construction company in Bulgaria while remaining an MP. But the authorities could not start a criminal case against Gudkov because he had MP immunity. From now on, Gudkov can be prosecuted as he no longer has deputy status.