Court to consider extending Opposition activist's arrest on October 7

MOSCOW, October 3 (Itar-Tass) - Moscow City Court on October 7 will consider the investigator's petition to extend the arrest of Opposition activist Leonid Razvozzhayev accused of planning riots. Razvozzhayev is an aide to State Duma lawmaker Ilya Ponomaryov.

"Moscow City Court will consider extending Razvozzhayev's arrest at a session at 10:30, on October 7. I believe the investigator will ask to keep him in custody until the investigation deadline, i.e. February 6," Razvozzhayev's lawyer Dmitry Agranovsky told Itar-Tass on Thursday.

Under the Basmanny court ruling, Razvozzhayev has to remain in a pre-trial detention center until October 21, which will mark a year since he was placed in custody. Under the law, the decision on extending the measure of restraint by more than a year is within the competence of Moscow City Court.

Agranovsky said he had appealed judge Artur Karpov's decision to extend his client's arrest until October 21. "We're asking Moscow City Court's criminal panel to recognize this resolution as illegitimate and release Razvozzhayev from the pre-trial detention center.

In the challenged resolution, the judge agreed with the prosecutor and investigator's position who believe the defendant might flee, use his connections in various public and political movements, destroy evidence or put pressure on witnesses.

Also, the judge expelled Razvozzhayev from hearings for shouting, and disobeying his orders.

Razvozzhayev is accused of preparing the riot in Moscow's Bolotnaya Square on May 6, 2012. Proceedings were opened after viewing of a film entitled Anatomy of Protest. It showed a meeting between Russian opposition leaders and Georgian politician Givi Targamadze and their discussion of planning riots across Russia and their funding from abroad.

Left Front coordinator Sergei Udaltsov is another suspect in the case. He has been under house arrest. Both men are facing up to five years in prison. They denied wrongdoing. On Wednesday, Moscow City court extended custody of Udaltsov until February 6. He has been under house arrest at his apartment in southern Moscow since February 2013. Authorities have banned him from seeing acquaintances and using the internet or telephone though access to relatives is allowed.

Preliminary investigation has been completed. The defendants are reading the case materials.