The coordinator of Navalny's headquarters in Veliky Novgorod was arrested for disobeying the police during his arrest on June 12

The Novgorod district court arrested for five days the coordinator of opposition leader Alexei Navalny's headquarters in Veliky Novgorod, Grigory Smirnov, reports Novgorod.ru.

Smirnov was found guilty of disobeying a lawful order of a police officer (Part 1 of Article 19.3 of the Administrative Code) at an anti-corruption rally on June 12.

According to the deputy head of the public order department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Veliky Novgorod, Sergei Nikitin, Smirnov pushed his shoulders during the arrest, and after he was taken under the arms of a police officer, he “tried to escape by quickening his pace.”

The video presented as evidence did not contain a fragment of the activist’s detention. According to Smirnov, the police did not tell him that he was being detained, but “invited” him to go into the car.

As the publication notes, Smirnov is also accused of organizing an uncoordinated procession (Part 1 of Article 20.2 of the Administrative Code). The case is due to be heard on June 23. 20 thousand for organizing an illegal march Previously, 17-year-old local resident Sergei Kuznetsov was fined .

The anti-corruption rally on June 12 in Veliky Novgorod took place at the entrance to the 30th Anniversary of October Park. About 300 people took part in it. According to Novgorod.ru, police detained about 15 people at the rally.