The trial of Sergei Cherepovsky

On August 29, at 15:30, the Central District Court of Tver will continue to consider the case of the activist of the "Other Russia" Sergei Cherepovsky. He was detained at the May Day demonstration only for carrying the flag and handing out campaign materials. Cherepovsky was charged with Part 1 of Art. 318 of the Criminal Code - violence against a representative of authority. He faces up to five years in prison. The human rights center "Memorial" recognized Cherepovsky as a political prisoner.

At the meeting on August 16, Judge Elena Mordvinkina rejected the motions of lawyer Svetlana Sidorkina to return the case to the prosecutor's office and to change the preventive measure for Cherepovsky to a written undertaking not to leave. An employee of the police department "Central" Denis Vasin, who is the victim in the case, retracted his previous testimony. In particular, in court he said that during the arrest Cherepovsky did not swear and did not grab him by the uniform. Vasin explained that he wrote the previous testimony from the words of another policeman. Earlier, Vasin had already changed his testimony after watching the video of Cherepovsky's detention.

Vasin's colleague Yevgeny Artamonov also changed his testimony and now he is not the victim, but a witness in the case. The case file stated that during the arrest, Cherepovsky hit Artamonov on the bridge of the nose with a fishing rod, on which the flag was attached, and grabbed Vasin by the neck in order to knock him to the ground.

Moscow activist Vera Lavreshina, who took part in a rally in defense of Cherepovsky on August 16 , was charged with the same Article 318. She was detained for a week, then placed under house arrest .