30 July 2019, 22:03
Head of "Memorial" fined for picket on anniversary of Estemirova's murder
Alexander Cherkasov, the board chairman of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", detained in Moscow for a rally on the anniversary of the murder of Natalia Estemirova, an employee of the Grozny office of the HRC "Memorial", has been fined by 10,000 roubles.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 15, three picketers in memory of Natalia Estemirova were detained in Red Square in Moscow: Alexander Cherkasov; Svetlana Gannushkina, the head of the Civil Assistance Committee; and Elena Milashina, a "Novaya Gazeta" journalist. They were released after drawing up administrative protocols.
On July 15, 2009, Natalia Estemirova, a staff member of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" office in Grozny, was kidnapped, taken to Ingushetia, and killed. She actively spoke out against kidnappings, extrajudicial executions, and falsifications of criminal cases.
The Tver Court of Moscow has found Alexander Cherkasov guilty under Part 5, Article 20.2, of the Administrative Code (a violation of the established order of picketing). At the trial, the judge rejected the petitions filed by the defence and asking to interrogate the policemen, who had detained Mr Cherkasov, and the rights defender, Svetlana Gannushkina, another picketer. The judge has also dismissed the motion demanding the participation of the prosecutor in the session and the keeping of the trial minutes.
Svetlana Gannushkina was accused of a repeated violation of picketing rules; she was fined by 150,000 roubles.
On August 8, Elena Milashina will be tried.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 30, 2019 at 04:32 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
