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Participant in March 26 protest sentenced to 18 months for attacking policeman

The court session was fast-tracked as the defendant, Aleksandr Shpakov, had agreed with the charges and pled guilty

MOSCOW, May 24. /TASS/. A court in Moscow has sentenced a participant in last March’s unauthorized demonstration to 18 months in a standard security penitentiary for attacking a policeman.

The court session was fast-tracked as the defendant, Aleksandr Shpakov, had agreed with the charges and pled guilty.

His lawyer, Sergey Badamshin, said he would appeal the sentence. Earlier, during the debate the prosecutor had asked the court to sentence Shpakov to two years in jail.

A total of five persons were arrested in the criminal case. The Investigative Committee said it had gathered evidence Shpakov and also Stanislav Zimovets, Yuri Kuliy, Andrey Kosykh and Dmitry Krepkin violated article 318 of the Criminal Code (violence against a representative of the authorities). The first sentence was pronounced on May 18. Yuri Kuliy, 28, was sentenced to eight months for violence against police. Stanislav Zimovets will be tried on May 29.

According to the Investigative Committee, during an unauthorized demonstration on March 26 the accused, including Shpakov, attacked police. Their guilt, the IC says, is confirmed by witnesses’ testimonies and videos.