Week-ending 5 June 2020
Moscow court postpones appeals hearing for arrested journalist Ilya Azar
The Moscow City Court has postponed the appeals hearing for arrested journalist and activist Ilya Azar until June 5, reports the organization “Apologiya Protesta” on Telegram, citing one of its lawyers, Leonid Solovyov. Solovyov, who delivered this message from the courtroom, did not give a reason for the hearing being delayed. Azar’s appeals hearing was supposed to take place on June 1. He will now remain in a special detention center until the rescheduled hearing. Meduza, 1 June 2020
Moscow law enforcement arrest protesters opposing police violence
Law enforcement have begun arresting protesters for participating in single-person demonstrations opposing police violence outside of the police headquarters in Moscow, OVD-Info reports. At least 16 people have been arrested, according to Novaya Gazeta,including a number of people who were picketing in support of jailed journalist Ilya Azar. Meduza, 2 June 2020
At Least 20 People Detained In Moscow While Protesting Police Violence
MOSCOW — Police in Moscow detained at least 20 demonstrators on June 2 as they rallied in front of the Moscow City Police headquarters to protest against police violence. Current Time correspondents reported from the site that Yegor Ilyushkin, press secretary of the Civil Society movement, along with activists Mila Zemtsova, Lusine Minasyan, Maria Chernykh, Ksenia Babich, and many other noted civil rights defenders were among those detained. RFE/RL, 3 June 2020
Moscow Court Trims Jailed Journalist Sentence To 10 Days
MOSCOW — The Moscow City Court has cut the jail term of prominent journalist Ilya Azar to 10 days from 15 days amid a public outcry in Moscow and St. Petersburg over his incarceration. The June 5 court decision means Azar should be released on June 7. Azar, a 35-year-old Moscow legislator and journalist for the independent Novaya gazeta newspaper, was sentenced on May 28 after being convicted of repeatedly violating Russia’s strict protest laws. RFE/RL, 5 June 2020
