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Court to review administrative case against blogger Navalny

Entering the courtroom, Navalny told reporters his detention was illegal

Photo ITAR-TASS

Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, December 6 (Itar-Tass) — Blogger Alexei Navaly was brought to the magistrate section of Moscow's Tverskoi court on Tuesday for review of the case over disobeying police during the unsanctioned rally in Moscow on December 5.

Entering the courtroom, Navalny told reporters his detention was illegal.

The blogger was charged under Article 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offense (disobeying a legitimate demand by a police officer). It envisions an administrative arrest of up to 15 days.

Earlier, the magistrate section meted out a 15-day arrest to Opposition activist Ilya Yashin for a similar offense.

Yashin denied his guilt. He said at the hearing that after he had seen that the number of participants in the rally in Chsitye Prudy was more than expected on Monday, he urged his colleagues not to use the subway after the rally, in order not to create a stampede, but move towards Lubyanka. The rally participants were detained illegally, Yashin claimed.

But the police who detained Yashin told the court it had been an unsanctioned march, with participants chanting political slogans and blocking the traffic. Police said they had used loudspeakers insisting that the rally disperse, "to which Yashin did not respond and was waving his arms."

Judge Olga Borovkova said Yashin's guilt was proven by his case materials and police testimony.

City police reported that more than 300 people had been detained during the unsanctioned rally to protest the results of the parliamentary election.

Reports said the Basmanny court had ruled on a 15-day arrest of another December 5 rally participant, Ivan Bogatyryov.

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