Alexei Navalny was arrested for 10 days for marching in support of Golunov

The Khoroshevsky District Court of Moscow arrested opposition leader Alexei Navalny for 10 days for participating in the June 12 march in support of journalist Ivan Golunov. A Mediazona correspondent reports this from the courtroom.

Navalny was found guilty under the article of repeated violation of the rules of holding an event (Part 8 of Article 20.2 of the Administrative Code). Judge Dmitry Zinyakov rejected the requests of lawyer Vadim Kobzev to transfer the place of consideration of the case to the court at the place of detention, or at the politician’s place of residence.

Zinyakov also rejected the request to call the police officers who participated in Navalny’s arrest, but allowed witnesses Kira Yarmysh, Ilya Pakhomov and photographer Alexander Astakhov to be questioned.

After this, lawyer Kobzev asked that the actions of the police who brought the oppositionist to the department be declared illegal. The defense lawyer noted that Navalny was kept at the department for more than six hours, instead of the required three, and the report against him was drawn up only five days after his arrest. The judge said he would consider the request when deciding the administrative case.

The meeting also reviewed photo and video materials from the June 12 action. Alexei Navalny was not in any photographs or videos. The politician himself believes that his arrest is connected with the upcoming elections to the Moscow City Duma, where independent candidates are running.

UPD On July 9, the Moscow City Court approved the decision of the court of first instance and left Alexei Navalny under arrest. This was reported by the politician's press secretary Kira Yarmysh.

• Investigative journalist Ivan Golunov was accused of trying to sell drugs. During the first days after Golunov's arrest, journalists and activists held pickets in his defense. On June 11, the case was dropped , but they decided not to cancel the action planned in Moscow in support of Golunov. Its participants demanded an investigation into fabricated criminal cases, reform of Article 228 and the release of innocent people.

• In total, according to OVD-Info, at least 530 people were detained during the uncoordinated march in support of Golunov in Moscow. Among those detained, according to Meduza, were about forty journalists.

• OVD-Info is monitoring the trials of detained participants in the June 12 march.