MOSCOW, July 8 (RAPSI) – Moscow’s Preobrazhensky District Court on Thursday refused to return a case over abetting violation of sanitary norms at an unauthorized rally held in Moscow in winter against Lyubov Sobol, an ally of Alexey Navalny, to prosecution, the court’s press service told RAPSI.

The court thus dismissed the defense motion.

Hearings on merits are scheduled for July 15. 

The woman is under restraining order. She is prohibited from leaving home from 8 pm to 6 am, communicating about the investigation online, sending and receiving mails.

Sobol stands charged with breaching sanitary and epidemiological rules. She could face up to two years behind bars if convicted.

According to police, coronavirus-positive persons ordered to isolation were identified among participants of the Moscow rally. A criminal case over violation of sanitary and epidemiological rules was opened over this fact.