Police have opened a criminal investigation into the attack on a forest conservationist in the Moscow region last week, according to news reports on Friday.
Lyudmila Garifulina, 63, a municipal deputy in Staraya Kupavna and assistant to State Duma deputy Valery Zubov, was stabbed four times near her home in Zelyony, 15 kilometers east of Moscow.
The attack, which left Garifulina in serious condition, has been classified as an intentional infliction of a grave injury, which carries a maximum sentence of eight years in prison, Vesti.ru reported.
Local activists have linked the attack to Garifulina's efforts to stop government-backed construction projects in nearby forests, citing threats and similar incidents in the region in recent years.
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