5 Feb 2018 17:47

Moscow City Court overturns sentence of Navalny foundation's lawyer due to insufficient evidence

MOSCOW. Feb 5 (Interfax) - The Moscow City Court has acquitted Alexander Pomazuyev, a lawyer of Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation charged with resisting police during an unauthorized rally, and canceled his administrative arrest on Monday.

"The court has overturned the ruling of Moscow's Simonovsky District Court and halted the proceedings in the administrative case due to the failure to prove circumstances on the basis of which the judgment that Pomazuyev had committed the offence was rendered," Moscow City Court spokesperson Ulyana Solopova told Interfax.

On January 29, the court sentenced the lawyer to ten days of administrative arrest, having found him guilty of resisting a police officer's legal order or demand.

On January 28, rallies of Navalny's supporters took place in 46 constituent entities of Russia. According to the Interior Ministry, no gross violations were committed.

A total of 266 persons were detained in 16 Russian cities; they were subsequently released, the press service for the Interior Ministry said.