Six picketers detained in Moscow, administrative offence protocols filed on them
MOSCOW. May 28 (Interfax) - Law enforcement officers have detained a group of picketers outside the building of the Russian Interior Ministry's Main Directorate in Moscow, filing administrative offence protocols for violating of rules regulating rallies and the self-isolation regime on six of them, the press service for the police directorate told Interfax.
"Today, police officers detained citizens who violated regulatory acts with regard to holding public events during the high alert period. Arrests were made in the place of picketing at 38, Petrovka. Police officers brought the perpetrators to a territorial police department," the police directorate said.
Six protesters have had administrative protocols filed on them for "violation of established procedures for organizing or holding a meeting or a rally" and "violation of the high readiness regime."
"The imposition of administrative penalties on other participants is now under consideration. Police officers acted in conformity with the law," police said.
A man born in 1984 was detained for a similar misconduct on May 26, police said. Having studied administrative offence materials, the court put him under a 15-day administrative arrest.
It was reported earlier that police on Thursday detained eight people in front of the Interior Ministry building in Moscow. The picketers were holding posters in support of detained journalist Ilya Azar. Protesters included Ekho Moskvy radio Deputy Editor-in-Chief Tatiana Felgenhauer, Ekho Moskvy radio host Alexander Plyushchev, Mediazona Editor-in-Chief Sergei Smirnov and Takie Dela Editor-in-Chief Anastasia Lotareva, author Alisa Ganieva, journalist Victoria Ivleva, TV Rain anchor Mikhail Fishman and Russia Today journalist Ilya Vasyunin.
Azar was detained on May 26 while holding a picket near the Interior Ministry building. He was holding a one-man picket in support of 'Police Ombudsman' Vladimir Vorontsov.
The Moscow Tverskoi District Court on Thursday found Azar guilty of a repeat violation of the established procedures for organizing pickets and sentenced him to 15 days of arrest. Besides an administrative protocol filed on him, the journalist was also fined for violating Moscow regulations aimed at introducing and maintaining the high alert regime.