Supporters of Khodorkovsky were detained near the Meshchansky Court

At 2 p.m. on May 16, 2005, the picket ended near the Meshchansky Court in Moscow in defense of Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The picketers rolled up their slogans and banners, but did not disperse. At approximately 2:30 p.m., the police and riot police gathered at the scene began to purposefully isolate Yabloko supporters from the crowd and take them (carry them, if they resist) into a police bus. About 20 people were detained, including the leader of the Moscow youth Yabloko Ilya Yashin and the deputy chairman of Yabloko Sergei Mitrokhin. The website NEWSru.com reported that 30 people were detained, and force was used against the picketers during the arrest. Thus, Vissarion Aseev, the head of the teachers’ committee of the city of Beslan, a deputy of the district assembly of the Pravoberezhny district of the city, was beaten.

During the arrest, Mitrokhin and the leader of the “Committee 2008” Garry Kasparov clashed with the police, Mitrokhin received multiple bruises and abrasions. In an interview with the Ekho Moskvy radio station, G. Kasparov called the events of May 16 an “action of intimidation.”

The picketers were pushed away from the courthouse.

It soon became known that several detainees were charged with violating the rules for holding mass events (an administrative offense) and failure to comply with the legal requirements of a law enforcement officer (the law provides for 15 days as a possible penalty). However, the next day, May 17, 2005, the participants in the picket in support of Mikhail Khodorkovsky were not tried on the charges brought the day before. Everyone who appeared on a summons to investigate what happened the day before was released, saying that no criminal case had been opened against them. According to G. Kasparov, the charges brought against him turned out to be so unfounded that the court refused to accept the case for consideration. S. Mitrokhin, who also appeared in court and was released, called on those gathered to fight the arbitrariness of the authorities and said that he intended to seek the initiation of a criminal case against the police officers.

Later, information appeared that a number of detainees were charged with violating the rules for holding street events.

On June 17, 2005, a trial was held and the six detained picket participants were acquitted. The cases of seven more people will be reviewed at a later date.

Sob. inf.

Sources

• The Khodorkovsky case: the rally is over, the arrests have begun // Polit.Ru. 2005. May 16.
• "Yabloko": Mitrokhin was beaten during his arrest // Polit.Ru. 2005. May 16.
• Charges were brought against those detained at the rally in defense of Khodorkovsky // Polit.Ru. 2005. May 16.
• On the day of Khodorkovsky’s sentencing, the deputy chairman of Yabloko was beaten at the court, the head of the Beslan teachers’ committee was detained // NEWSru.com. 2005. May 17.
• Mitrokhin and other picketers were not tried // Grani.Ru. 2005. May 17.
• The court acquitted the participants of the picket in support of Khodorkovsky // Polit.Ru. 2005. June 17.