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Participant in Moscow protest sentenced to custody

In early September, the Russian Investigative Committee dropped mass unrest charges against five of the July 27 rally participants, facing them with administrative charges
Moscow's Tverskoy District Court Vladimir Gerdo/TASS
Moscow's Tverskoy District Court
© Vladimir Gerdo/TASS

MOSCOW, December 6. /TASS/. Moscow’s Tverskoi District Court has sentenced participant in the July 27 unauthorized rally Sergei Abanichev to a 15-day custody, his lawyer Fyodor Sirosh told TASS.

"The court has found him guilty under Article 20.2 of the Russian Administrative Code (participation in unauthorized rallies, demonstrations and marches, which hinders the operation of vital infrastructure facilities) and ruled that he be taken into custody for 15 days," he said. However, the court counted the time Abanichev had spent at a pre-trial detention center so he will remain free, the lawyer added.

Abanichev was detained on December 5 and released later on his own recognizance.

According to police, the July 27 rally involved more than 3,500 people, over 1,000 were detained. The Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under Article 318.1 and Article 212.2 of the Russian Criminal Code (the use of violence against officials and participation in mass unrest), arresting more than ten suspects.

In early September, the Russian Investigative Committee dropped mass unrest charges against five of the rally’s participants — Daniil Konon, Valery Kostenok, Sergei Abanichev, Vladislav Barabanov and Dmitry Vasilyev. Investigators had come to the conclusion that there was no reason to bring criminal charges against them, so they eventually faced administrative charges.