Arrest and fine. Those walking home from the bar on the night of February 2-3 were mistaken for protesters

Lawyer Denis Eliseev from OVD-Info defended in court six young people who were detained on the night of February 2-3 in Moscow. All were detained on their way out of the bar, mistaking them for protesters in support of Alexei Navalny. Judge Elena Lebedeva sentenced six young people to different punishments. Those who did not come to the court session - to a fine of 15 thousand rubles, and those who did - to 15 days of arrest. Denis Eliseev tells this story.

A group of guys gathers every week in the bar "On taps" on Tsvetnoy Boulevard. Such is their tradition. They discuss the past week, share their impressions, relax. February 3 vacation ended at 00:10. The guys left the establishment and headed for the metro, where they were detained at the entrance to the Trubnaya station. Everyone was charged with participation in the action, which caused the creation of obstacles to the movement of pedestrians and public transport. Part 6.1 of Article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, punishment from a fine to 15 days of arrest.

Four of the detainees did not appear at the court session, where they were fined 15,000 rubles each. The two detainees, very much confident both in their innocence and in their right to meet every week in a bar, came to court. During the meeting, their own video footage of the walk from the cafe to the metro station, photographs from the bar's video cameras, checks confirming the payment for the order before leaving the catering establishment were attached to the case. A printout from Yandex Map, confirming that it takes 15 minutes to walk from Na Kranakh to Trubnaya at a calm pace — and, accordingly, the impossibility of participating in protests.

All this is attached to the case file, the video was viewed by the judge and commented on by the detainees. At the meeting, a witness was heard, who confirmed the tradition of friendly gatherings on Tsvetnoy Boulevard and the slow peaceful "march" home [on the night of February 2-3].

After reviewing, listening and thinking, the judge issued a ruling in which she recognized the guilt of the guys and imposed an administrative penalty in the form of arrest for 15 days, the maximum possible under this article.

The referee's decision is heard standing. The first detainee, who received a day, sat down on a bench and exhaled: “Yes, I drank beer.” While the judge was considering the case of one of the detainees, the second was waiting for his hearing in the corridor. I wrote to him that he could still leave the court, the police and bailiffs at the exit have no reason to detain him yet. He thought for half a minute and answered: "I will stay, I will not run away anywhere, because I am right." As a result, he was also given 15 days of arrest.

There were police officers, a lieutenant and a sergeant in court. They weren't supposed to show emotion, but it was clear they were surprised. For me it was wild. After the meeting, I asked the judge why. She shrugged and said she couldn't comment on the decision.