On Wednesday, the State Duma adopted a resolution on amnesty. On Thursday, four participants in the “Bolotnaya Case” were released from criminal prosecution and from custody in the courtroom. The door of the iron cage swings open. Half a year later Leonid Kovyazin and Vladimir Akimenkov are free. A much hated electronic bracelet is removed […]
Tag: Bolotnaya Square
The Bolotnaya Case: Half a Year Later
In the case of the riots on Bolotnaya Square on May 6, 2012, the discovery of evidence stage hasn’t been completed yet: only 40 out of 453 declared witnesses have been questioned. However, according to the Bolotnaya prisoners’ attorneys, “the court began to ‘push’ the participants in the trial ‘to make sure everything is completed […]
Inside a Russian Mental Hospital
A Russian court has sentenced a protester to mandatory psychiatric treatment in a case that has been widely criticized by human rights watchdogs. Mikhail Kosenko, who has been voluntarily seeking mental-health treatment for much of his life and is a productive member of society, was accused of assaulting a police officer during the Bolotnaya riots […]
What Happened to the Sixty Protesters Injured In Bolotnaya Square?
On May 6, 2012, a large anti-Putin protest, the “March of the Millions,” descended into chaos as it was broken up by police in Bolotnaya Square, Moscow. Since that time, Russian authorities have prosecuted 27 people, and some of the trials are still ongoing. Previously, The Interpreter translated an article, published by NG on September […]
The OMON “Victim-Witnesses”
On May 6, 2012, a large anti-Putin protest, the “March of the Millions,” descended into chaos as it was broken up by police in Bolotnaya Square, Moscow. Since that time, Russian authorities have prosecuted 27 people, and some of the trials are still ongoing. This past Sunday there was a benefit concert for the defendants, […]
Alexei Navalny Speaks
Alexei Navalny gave a speech to the crowd gathered at Bolotnaya Square which, of course, was quite different from the one that was given last night from the stage in the same location by Sergei Sobyanin. Slon publishes here a transcription of the speech: If you want to know how a rock star feels, then […]
Government Proposes to Soften the Law on Rallies
The Russian government submitted to the State Duma a bill specifying the responsibility for violations during mass rallies. The text of the document was published on August 7 on the government website. The amendments would clarify the conditions whereby a rally organizers should be responsible for the harm caused by the participants of the event. […]
Will the “Manezhnaya Case” Be Added to the “Bolotnaya Case?”
There could be new developments related to the case of mass riots on May 6, 2012. According to the “NG” [Nezavisimaya Gazeta], investigators are questioning the opposition activists detained on that day on Manezhnaya Square who “diverted the police forces” from other protesters. The “NG” managed to get hold of a list of opposition activists […]
Bolotnaya Suspects Refuse to Plead Guilty
All 12 suspects in the case of mass disturbances on Moscow’s Bolotnaya Square on 6 May 2012 have refused to plead guilty in court, a correspondent of the Russian Agency for Legal and Judicial Information (RASPI) reports. The session of the Zamoskovoretsky Court in the capital was open to the public at the Moscow City […]
Protests, Whistleblowers, Political Parties and Blasphemy Laws
Here’s a list of some of today’s top news stories: -Moscow saw a large opposition rally in support of the arrested protestors who are set to go on trial from last year’s “Bolotnaya” protests. Estimates of the crowd’s size vary depending on sources, ranging from 6,000 to 30,000. The protest also saw the attendance of […]