MOSCOW, August 19 (RAPSI) – The Koptevsky District Court will consider lawsuits filed by the city’s public transport authority (Mosgortrans) and the state-financed entity Autoroads seeking to recover about 13 million rubles ($200,000) from the organizers of unauthorized rallies, RAPSI learnt from the court’s press service on Monday.
The preliminary procedure for both cases is set for August 22.
Autoroads company demands 11.5 million rubles from opposition figures Alexey Navalny, Ilya Yashin, Ivan Zhdanov, Yulia Galyamina, Georgy Alburov, Lyubov Sobol and two other persons, while Mosgortrans seeks to recover over 1.2 million rubles from them.
According to Moscow’s public transport authority, on July 27, an unauthorized rally led to the public transport traffic delay and truck detention time.
The second plaintiff claims that suffered damages in connection with providing peacekeeping.
Unauthorized rallies in support of candidates seeking to become lawmakers of the Moscow State Duma but refused registration by the Election Commission were held on July 27 and August 3 in central Moscow. Over 1,000 people were arrested for various violations as a result.
After the 27 July rally, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case over mass riots. Investigators believe that the protest action was held with the use of force against representatives of authority.
Several opposition figures including Alexey Navalny, Dmitry Gudkov, Ilya Yashin were arrested and put in detention for alleged organization of an unauthorized rally.