Russian Musician Charged with Organizing Illegal Gathering After Busking

By The Moscow Times

June 28, 2016

Semyon Lashkin with his band, Radio Kamerger Radio Kamerger / VK

A musician busking in central Moscow was detained last week by police on charges of ?€?organizing an unauthorized mass event,?€? the LifeNews website reported Tuesday.

Semyon Lashkin, a former runner-up on Russian television talent show Golos, had began playing his cello in the street after a rehearsal with his band, Radio Kamerger.

Lashkin said he was detained by police officers who confiscated his instrument. Moscow's Tverskoy district court also issued Lashkin with a 10,000 ruble ($154) fine on Tuesday after finding him guilty of ?€?organizing a mass event in public place,?€? LifeNews reported.

?€?They [the police] could not even explain why the instrument had been so needlessly confiscated, depriving a musician from giving planned performances,?€? the band's artistic director Olga Openok wrote on her Facebook page Monday.

Lashkin plans to appeal.

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