A Moscow court on Friday sentenced one of the defendants in the high-profile Bolotnoye case to three years and two months in jail for his part in anti-Putin demonstrations that rocked the capital in 2012.
Dmitry Ishevsky, 31, was found guilty of participating in mass riots and using force against police officers, charges to which he confessed in order to speed up his trial, the Interfax news agency reported.
Investigators reportedly had video evidence of Ishevsky's actions, and they had earlier expressed concerns about the suspect putting pressure on witnesses or fleeing to avoid trial.
Ishevksy is one of many to face criminal prosecution for taking part in a demonstration that turned violent on Moscow's Bolotnaya Ploshchad on May 6, 2012.
The rally, to protest President Vladimir Putin's return to power, erupted in clashes between demonstrators and police officers, prompting hundreds of detentions.
A total of 29 people were later charged for allegedly orchestrating mass riots that day, 11 of whom were pardoned under a presidential amnesty last winter.
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