MOSCOW, March 30 (RAPSI) – The Moscow City Court has upheld administrative detention of Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny issued for resisting police officers during March 26 rally, RAPSI learnt in the court on Thursday.

The court has dismissed an appeal against the Tverskoy District Court’s ruling finding Navalny guilty of resisting demands of police officers and putting him in detention for fifteen days. Navalny was also fined 20,000 rubles (about $350) for organizing an unauthorized rally in central Moscow.

Navalny will file a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) over his administrative detention, his attorney Olga Mikhailova told journalists. 

Navalny did not admit his guilt during the hearings. According to the politician, Moscow authorities refused to greenlight the rally in the city’s center and proposed alternative areas only a day before it was to take place. Navalny said that in this case Russian legislation allows organizers to hold an event at the area, which was listed first.

Navalny’s lawyer Olga Mikhailova claimed that the administrative violation report against her client’s arrest was forged by police officers. The court dismissed Navalny’s motion to hear testimony of witnesses in the case.

Head of Moscow’s Department for regional security and combating corruption Vladimir Chernikov told RIA Novosti news agency that the mayor’s office proposed to held the rally in two districts of Moscow back in March 22.

According to the numbers reported by the Main Directorate of the Interior Ministry for Moscow, about 500 people were arrested on March 26 during the unauthorized rally. Overall number of people present in the area at the time was estimated at as high as 8,000 people. One of the police officers received injuries, a criminal case was launched over this incident.