MOSCOW, June 1 (RAPSI) – The Moscow City Court on Monday postponed an appeal filed by journalist and municipal lawmaker Ilya Azar against his 15-day detention for repeated violation of the law on rallies until June 5, the court’s press service told RAPSI.

The journalist was arrested on May 26 near the building of the Interior Ministry’s Main Directorate in central Moscow. Azar was staying in a sole picket in support of creator of the Police Ombudsman Telegram channel Vladimir Vorontsov, who had been earlier arrested on suspicion of extorting 300,000 rubles ($4,000) from a former Interior Ministry employee, and the channel’s admin Igor Khudyakov.

The journalist believes his arrest and detention are illegal as a sole picket doesn’t breach legislation even during the sanitary and epidemiological restrictions.