Support The Moscow Times!

Moscow Protester Released as Russians Campaign Against Prosecutions

Aidar Gubaidulin Andrei Vasilyev / TASS

A Moscow court has ordered the release of one of several activists charged with “mass civil unrest” during the Russian capital’s biggest wave of anti-government protests in nearly a decade.

More than a dozen men, including Sberbank software engineer Aidar Gubaidulin, were placed in pre-trial detention on accusations of organizing mass unrest during election-related protests on July 27. Five suspects had their charges dropped earlier this month, while four were sentenced to prison terms on charges of violence against riot police.

The Meshchansky District Court ruled to release Gubaidulin and restrict him from traveling, the Mediazona news website reported from the courtroom Wednesday. Gubaidulin had been held on suspicion of throwing a plastic bottle at police.

The court also approved the prosecution’s unexpected request to return the case for review and clarification of the charges.

“An empty bottle can’t cause harmful health risks. They can’t prove that it was full,” Gubaidulin’s lawyer Maxim Pashkov was quoted as saying by BBC Russia.

Pashkov attributed the ruling to this week’s campaign in support of a novice actor who was sentenced to 3.5 years in jail for alleged violence against a police officer.

Gubaidulin’s release also follows two open letters signed by Russian teachers and Orthodox priests calling on the authorities to drop charges against protesters and bystanders caught up in this summer’s mass election rallies.

Tens of thousands took to the streets nearly every weekend this summer to demand free elections after several opposition-minded candidates were barred from appearing on the Sept. 8 ballot for the Moscow city legislature. 

Police briefly detained more than 2,000 people and used force to disperse what they said were illegal protests throughout the weeks of demonstrations.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more