MOSCOW, August 3. /TASS/. Moscow City’s Simonovsky district court has fined Alexey Navalny, a leader of Russia’s off-parliament opposition for 300,000 rubles ($ 5,067) upon finding him guilty of a repeat violation of regulations for organizing public rallies and meetings, a TASS reporter said in a dispatch right from the courtroom.
"The court has found Navalny guilty of infractions under Clause 8 of Article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Violations (Repeat Violation of Regulations for Organizing and/or Holding a Gathering, Rally, Demonstration, March, or Picket) to award a penalty of 300,000 rubles to him," the judge said while reading out the resolution.
The sanctions imposed on wrongdoers under this clause envision a fine of 300,000 rubles or an administrative arrest of up to 30 days.
The court also issued a 300,000 rubles fine to Leonid Volkov, a staff member of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Fund. One more person, Nikolay Lyaskin, the chief of Navalny’s Moscow coordination staff was fined for 250,000 rubles.
According to a protocol for administrative violations, Navalny and fellow-oppositionists uploaded a video address, with the aid of which they organized an authorized public event in Moscow on July 8 and July 9.
"The police exposed the individuals who handed out propaganda materials, or leaflets, after they had coordinated the time and had scattered across a district," the judge said.
Also, they wore the T-shirts with the word ‘Navalny’ on them.
"This is a covert form of a public event disguised as solitary picketing," the judge said
Navalny denied all the charges vehemently, saying: "I don’t understand the essence of the charges issued to me. The indictment says I committed an administrative offense by uploading a video clip in YouTube but a video of this kind simply doesn’t exist."
"I’m taking part in an election campaign and I called for joining a promotional action, not a rally," he said.