MOSCOW, October 15 (RAPSI) – The Moscow City Court has upheld a lower court’s ruling ordering collection of more than 240,000 rubles (over $3,000) from organizers of unauthorized rallies held in central Moscow in the summer of 2019 in favor of the restaurant Armenia, RAPSI has learnt rom the court.

Last October, the Tushinsky District Court of Moscow recovered over 240,000 rubles ($3,100 at the current exchange rate) from the defendants. The court granted the claim in part. The plaintiff demanded to recover 551,847 rubles.

Protest actions began in Moscow in mid-July after election commissions denied registration of certain opposition members as candidates for the Moscow City Duma elections reasoning that documents submitted by them contained numerous violations.

The first unauthorized rally took place hear the Moscow City Election Commission’s building on July 14 and looked like a provocation, according to law experts.

Unauthorized rallies in support of candidates seeking to become lawmakers of the Moscow State Duma but refused registration by the Election Commission were also held on July 27 and August 3 in central Moscow. Over 1,000 people were arrested for various violations as a result.