The judge expelled the press from the meeting on administrative punishment for the Dozhd journalist

Judge Olesya Turlanova of the Perovsky Court of the Moscow District Court removed the press from the hearing to punish the journalist of the Dozhd TV channel Vasily Polonsky, a Mediazona correspondent reports from the courtroom.

Turlanova did not explain her actions in any way, but also said that “it is impossible to make an audio recording.” Before this, journalists attended meetings during which activists protesting against the cutting down of the Kuskovo park were fined from 500 rubles to 1 thousand rubles.

In addition, the judge refused to question witnesses and view video footage from the place where Polonsky was detained.

The plenum of the Supreme Court in December 2012 issued a resolution stating that “the deliberate creation by a judge of conditions limiting or excluding access of persons who are not participants in the process, including representatives of media editorial offices, to an open court hearing, or conditions preventing its recording indicates a violation of professional ethics.”

Polonsky was detained on the night of December 29 with more than ten activists. A report was drawn up against him under Article 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (disobedience to a lawful order of a police officer).

He was at a protest rally on an editorial assignment, and he had a press card with him.