MOSCOW, March 27 (RAPSI) - The Second Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction has changed a place of serving sentence given to protester Danila Beglets for using violence against a police officer at an unauthorized rally held in Moscow on July 27 from penal colony to penal colony settlement, according to lawyer of the International Advocacy Group Agora Leonid Solovyev.
The 2-year term meanwhile was upheld.
He was convicted and sentenced to 2 years in jail in October. According to the prosecution, the man used violence against a policeman namely grabbed him by the wrist in order to obstruct his legal activity.
The defendant has pleaded guilty and announced willingness to pay 10,000 rubles ($130) in compensation to a victim.
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.
Following 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 activists have been already convicted and sentenced to prison terms.