MOSCOW, February 11, - RAPSI. Former State Duma Deputy Gennady Gudkov has stated that he was unlawfully stripped of his mandate during an appeals hearing in the Supreme Court on Monday. The required procedure was not followed, he said.

The Duma voted to expel Gudkov in September based on the Federal Law on the Status of Duma Deputies dated 1999.

Gudkov said in court that the law calls for stripping a lawmaker of his mandate if he joins the civil service or is engaged in business or any other profit-making activity except teaching, research or art. However, the Duma did not clarify how exactly he was involved in commercial activities, he said.

Gudkov told the court that only two lawmakers have ever been fired in Europe - and both in Nazi Germany. He added that he had served as the deputy chairman of the lower house's security committee, the deputy head of the Just Russia group, the chairman of a committee in the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and coordinated the interaction with the Socialist group in the European parliament.

He said he was also an active party member and an "effective MP."

Gudkov stressed that the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats - the second-largest political group in the European parliament - has supported his criticism of his forced removal from the Duma. He has also received the support of A Just Russia, which nevertheless failed to send a representative to attend Monday's hearing.

The State Duma stripped Gudkov of his mandate last year after the investigative authorities accused him of engaging in commercial activities - a violation of the law on lawmaker status. According to the current Russian legislation, deputies are not permitted to be involved in business.