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Court to hear administrative case of Left Front’s Udaltsov detained on Pussy Riot sentencing day

Earlier a justice of peace acquitted another Russian opposition member, Garri Kasparov, detained on a similar accusation on August 17
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, September 5 (Itar-Tass) —— A justice of peace will hear the administrative case of Left Front coordinator Sergei Udaltsov on Wednesday. He was detained on August 17 for holding an unpermitted action near the Moscow Khamovniki District Court, which sentenced members of the Pussy Riot punk band.

The court adjourned the hearing preliminary scheduled for August 23 as the opposition member had been away to Ulyanovsk, where another court was hearing his appeal against the sentence in another case, the beating of a journalist at a rally.

This time Udaltsov is accused of breaching the rules of a meeting, an assembly, a demonstration, a march or a picket (Article 20.2 of the Russian Code of Administrative Offenses), which may be punished with a fine of up to 30,000 rubles.

Udaltsov said he tried to enter the Moscow Khamovniki District Court to listen to the sentence on the Pussy Riot singers but the police detained him for no apparent reason.

Earlier a justice of peace acquitted another Russian opposition member, Garri Kasparov, detained on a similar accusation on August 17. There are no formal elements of an administrative offense, the case is dropped, the judge said.

A policeman told the court he detained Kasparov for shouting slogans near the court building at about 4:00 p.m. on August 17. He said Kasparov was chanting, “Free Pussy Riot” and “Down with the Police State.”

In all, more than 60 people were detained near the Moscow Khamovniki District Court, which sentenced three Pussy Riot punk band members to two years for an act of hooliganism at the Christ the Savior Cathedral.

Pussy Riot supporters shouted “Shame” when the sentence was passed, and opponents lauded the sentence. Deputy Dmitry Gudkov, journalist Leonid Parfyonov, writer Dmitry Bykov and opposition member Vladimir Ryzhov came to the court to support Pussy Riot singers.