MOSCOW, March 23 - RAPSI. Moscow News journalist Pavel Nikulin, who was detained during an unauthorized rally in Moscow on March 5, will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights if he is treated unjustly by Russian courts, he told journalists during a break in the hearing on his case on Friday.

The consideration of an administrative case against Nikulin started on Friday. The journalist is accused of participating in the rally and shouting anti-government slogans.

Nikulin claims that he was illegally detained and beaten. The case was initiated against him only after he decided to write a complaint against a police officer on his illegal detainment and beating, he reported.

Nikulin told the court that he was watching the rally as part of his assignment and he did not shout any slogans. He only regularly contacted his newspaper, he said.

The judge asked Nikulin whether the police officers could tell that he was a journalist from his appearance. Nikulin said they could not, but added that he possessed necessary documents.