MOSCOW, August 21 (Itar-Tass) —— Left Front Coordinator Sergei Udaltsov will pay a fine of 30,000 rubles for organizing an unpermitted action near the Russian Investigation Committee building on August 9, justice of peace of the Moscow Basmanny District Court resolved on Tuesday.
He found Udaltsov guilty of breaching Part 2, Article 20.2 of the Russian Code of Administrative Offensives – the rules of organization and holding of an assembly, a rally, a march or a picket. The offense shall be punished with a fine from 20,000 to 30,000 rubles or compulsory works of up to 50 hours.
The police told the court that Udaltsov urged the action participants to make a live chain around the edifice of the Russian Investigation Committee.
The opposition co-leader dismissed the accusations. He said he came to the Investigation Committee for meeting with deputy Natalia Chernysheva and several dozens of people had been already standing there. They were carrying no signs, Udaltsov said.
“A minute after I approached those citizens, the police told me to follow them to a police bus. They said they thought the action was illegal,” Udaltsov said. He added that the action near the Investigation Committee continued after his detention. “My conclusion is my detention is illegal. The police detained no one but me,” he said.
In turn, Udaltsov’s lawyer Violettta Volkova said the police told her they were acting on orders. “My client did not organize that meeting. Those people were waiting for the deputy,” she said.