MOSCOW, January 10 (RAPSI) - Anastasia Rybachenko, an opposition activist whose arrest was ordered in absentia in Russia for her participation in  a large-scale Moscow protest in May 2012 and put on an international wanted list, has been pardoned pursuant to a broad amnesty spearheaded by Russian President Vladimir Putin, her lawyer Vladimir Samokhin told RAPSI on Friday.

Rybachenko’s pardon was granted after she had filed a request for amnesty in late December, Samokhin said.

She has become the sixth opposition activist pardoned under the amnesty arranged to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

On December 19, Nikulinsky District Court of Moscow terminated the case against four defendants in the 2012 Bolotnaya Square riots case – Nikolai Kavkazsky, Maria Baronova, Leonid Kovyazin and Vladimir Akimenkov. On December 25, Dmitry Rukavishnikov, an aide to Russian State Duma opposition lawmaker Ilya Ponomaryov, was also pardoned.

Over 400 people were arrested and scores were injured in the protest on Bolotnaya Square that turned violent in May 2012. Dozens of participants were later charged with inciting mass riots and using violence against law enforcement representatives.

Left Front leader Sergei Udaltsov has been accused of organizing the riots and using violence against police during the rally. In October 2012, he was ordered not to leave the city. He was placed under house arrest in February 2013. In December, the Moscow City Court sent the case against Udaltsov and co-defendant Leonid Razvozzhayev, to prosecutors for further investigation based on errors that had been revealed. In so holding, the court satisfied a motion filed by Udaltsov and Razvozzhayev.