Police detain suspect in attack on Russian election chief

Police of the Moscow Region detained a man on Saturday who is suspected of being involved in Friday's attack on Russian Central Election Commission Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova at home.

The man, born in 1983, is a native of a Central Asian republic and he will be delivered to the investigating authorities soon, the Interior Ministry said in a brief statement.

An intruder broke into Pamfilova's house in a suburb of Moscow on Friday through a terrace window, hit her several times with a stun gun and fled. The attack left bruises, scratches and burns on her body.

Investigators have initiated criminal proceedings on the grounds of robbery with illegal penetration into a private house.

The incident happened before Russian elections on Sunday at various levels, including additional elections of State Duma deputies, heads of 19 regions, and legislative bodies in 13 regions, including Moscow.