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Court to consider case against Bolotnaya Square action participant

Maxim Luzyanin, 36, has become the first defendant in Bolotnaya Square mass disorders case who will stand trial

MOSCOW, October 29 (Itar-Tass) — Moscow’s Zamoskvoretsky Court on Monday will consider a criminal case against Maxim Luzyanin - one of the participants in the Bolotnaya Square disorders on May 6 this year.

The trial is expected to be held under a special procedure – without the examination of evidence. In addition, the punishment that the judge can hand down under this procedure is no more than two-thirds of the maximum prescribed.

Luzyanin is charged with crimes under Article 212, part 2 (mass disorders) and Article 318, part 1of the RF Criminal Code (violence against public officers). During the preliminary investigation he admitted his guilt and repented.

According to investigators, in Bolotnaya Square in Moscow on May 6 during the sanctioned March of Millions rally Luzyanin took part in mass disorders with violence, destruction of property and arson. During these events Luzyanin was involved in the beating of police officers. He was knocking them down and then launching blows on various parts of the body.

Maxim Luzyanin, 36, has become the first defendant in Bolotnaya Square mass disorders case who will stand trial. According to investigators, on May 6 Luzyanin, being between the Bolotnaya Embankment and Bolotnaya Square threw a piece of asphalt at a junior instructor-sniper of a Russian Interior Ministry unit, and then jointly with other participants in the disorders ripped the protective helmet off the head of a fighter of the Special Forces Centre of the Russian Interior Ministry’s main department for Moscow, took away his body armour, rubber truncheon and mask. After that Luzyanin knocked the policeman down and along with other participants in the disorders inflicted blows and kicks on the victim’s head and body. The police officer got a closed head injury and other bodily harm in the attack. Then, according to investigators, Luzyanin knocked down three more police officers and applied a chokehold against one of them.

The investigation against the other defendants in the case continues. One alleged participant in the mass disorders – Anastasia Rybachenko, on September 11 was put on the federal wanted list.

The May 6 opposition rally sanctioned by authorities grew into clashes with police and mass disorders. The demonstrators tried to break through a police cordon. Some threw bottles, flares, offered resistance when policemen tried to detain them. The protesters were also ripping protective helmets off the police officers’ heads. More than 400 people were detained on that day for illegal actions, about 30 policemen and dozens of civilians were injured.

A total of 18 persons have been charged within the criminal case.