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Manezhnaya Square riots suspect appeals to European court

Mass disturbances in central Moscow occurred on December 11, 2010

MOSCOW, September 12 (Itar-Tass) — One of the defendants in the case over mass disturbances in Moscow's Manezhnaya Square will appeal to the European court of human rights, his lawyer Yevgeny Arkhipov told Itar-Tass.

"Since the court's action tend to be obviously accusatory, the defence plans to lodge a complaint with the European court of human lights shortly," Arkhipov said.

He noted that his client would protest illegal custody.

The defendants within the Manezhnaya riots case are Belarusian citizen, activist of the unregistered public association "Other Russia," and Strategiya 31 movement Igor Berezyuk, two "Other Russia" activists Krill Unchuk and Ruslan Khubayev, and Leonid Panin and Alexander Kozevin. All are in custody.

Berezyuk was charged with calls for mass disturbances, hooliganism, inciting hate or strife, use of violence on government representative and involving minors in the commission of crime.

Khubayev, Unchuk, Panin and Kozevin were charged with calls for mass disturbances, hooliganism and use of violence on government representatives.

Mass disturbances in central Moscow occurred on December 11, 2010. They were provoked by the murder of Spartak fan Yegor Sviridov in a fight with North Caucasus natives, which happened several days before.

Up to 5,000 football fans and representatives of nationalist organizations gathered in Manezhnaya Square, indignant at police, who initially detained the six persons suspected of involvement in the murder, but later released five of them on recognizance.

The unsanctioned rally escalated to clashes with police.

Criminal cases were opened over riots in Manezhnaya Square and the subway stations Kitai-Gorod, Tretyakovskya, Tverskaya, and Filyovsky Park. Five suspects were detained in the period from January to April 2011.

"The investigation into the criminal cases against other participants in the riots continues," Investigation Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said.

At the present time, the Moscow City Court is hearing the case over the murder of Spartak fan Yegor Sviridov.