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Figurant of the "Bolotnaya Square case" is sentenced to 4.5 years

Opposition intends to launch an alternative investigation

Last Friday, figurant of the criminal case over the disorders on the Bolotnaya Square on May 6 Maxim Luzyanin was convicted. The court sentenced him to 4.5 years in prison. Luzyanin’s lawyer noted that there was actually no full-fledged trial in this criminal case over the agreement concluded with the investigation. The opposition intends to launch an alternative investigation.

The Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily recalled that, according to the detectives, Maxim Luzyanin was participating in massive disorders during an authorized rally of the opposition on the Bolotnaya Square in Moscow on May 6. In particular, he was participating in the beating of policemen, hurled a piece of asphalt at a riot policeman, then together with other participants in the disorders tore the helmet and the bulletproof vest from the police commando, seized a rubber stick and a gas mask from him. After that Luzyanin knocked the policeman down and beat him up together with other demonstrators. The police officer got a closed head injury and other wounds. Then, the detectives believe that the defendant knocked down another three policemen and was trying to stifle one of them.

The lawyers of other defendants believe that the confession of one defendant cannot be found as evidence, because massive disorders were taking place, the Novye Izvestia daily reported. Meanwhile, the lawyers noted that the criminal case vs Luzyanin cannot be used as a legal precedence, because there was actually no full-fledged trial involving all parties concerned over the agreement concluded with the investigation.

The newspaper reported that there are 18 defendants in the criminal case over the massive disorders on the Bolotnaya Square, 13 of them are under arrest. Meanwhile, the detectives continue an active search for the masterminds of the massive protests.

The first verdict in the Bolotnaya criminal case was surprisingly tough, the Vedomosti daily reported. Not only the lawyer of convict Maxim Luzyanin, but also the lawyers of other defendants in the same criminal case intend to appeal the verdict.

The human rights activists are seeking to ensure the sweeping scale of an alternative investigation in the May 6 disorders, the RBC daily cited head of the For Human Rights movement Lev Ponomarev as saying. The volunteers are being recruited to make audio recording and conduct the minutes of all court sessions, and each defendant will have several lawyers.

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