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Police open 1st criminal case over unauthorized Moscow rally

The defendant threw a trash bin at a law enforcement officer

MOSCOW, July 29. /TASS/. The police have opened a criminal case against a participant in the unauthorized Moscow rally on July 27 who had hurled a trash bin at a member of the special police force, a source in law enforcement agencies told TASS on Monday.

"The criminal case on the count of ‘Use of violence against a representative of the authorities’ (part 1, article 318 of Russia’s Criminal Code) has been opened against a rally detainee. He threw a trash bin at an officer of the National Guard’s special force unit," the source said.

The suspect has been detained and is currently kept at a Moscow police station, the source added.

"The member of the National Guard’s special force unit is an affected party in this criminal case," the source continued.

The suspect will also face administrative penalty for his participation in the unauthorized rally in Moscow,  according to the source.

The police and the National Guard detained over 1,000 people during the unsanctioned rally in the center of Moscow on July 27. Overall, more than 3,500 people gathered in downtown Moscow for the protest on Saturday, according to police data.

The authorities had warned in advance that participants in the event would be held liable for unlawful activities. Moscow’s prosecutor’s office is running 15 administrative cases against 15 unregistered candidates for the Moscow City Duma (the city’s legislative body) who are the organizers of the July 14 and 27 unauthorized rallies. They ignored the first warning from the prosecutor’s office. The prosecutor issued another warning about their liability for violating the law.