A teenager who throws snowballs at an FSB car faces seven years in prison | News from Germany about Russia

The prosecutor’s office will appeal the verdict of 17-year-old Muscovite Gleb Borisov, who was previously found guilty of damaging an FSB car during a rally in support of opposition leader Alexei Navalny on Tsvetnoy Boulevard. As writes on Sunday, November 7, the online edition “OVD-Info”, the prosecution demands that the teenager be sentenced to seven years in a colony instead of five years conditionally assigned to him by the court of first instance.

After the rally in support of Alexei Navalny on January 23, video footage appeared on the Internet in Moscow showing a group of protesters throwing snowballs at a car with flashing lights and an AMR number on Tsvetnoy Boulevard. This car was kicked, one of the young men jumped on the hood. Later, the Investigative Committee said that the driver was sprayed with gas from a canister.

On September 1, the Tverskoy District Court found Gleb Borisov guilty of using harmless violence against government officials and damaging other people’s property out of hooligan motives. At the same time, under the article on group hooliganism, also imputed to Borisov, the young man was acquitted.

The verdict of the court of first instance in the case of the FSB car

According to OVD-Info, Borisov admitted that he kicked two Rosgvardia officers one by one and participated, together with another person involved in the same case, Konstantin Lakeyev, in throwing snowballs at a car assigned to the FSB. For their part, the Russian Guards indicated at the trial that they did not feel pain, and accepted Borisov’s apology.

In addition to the suspended sentence, Borisov was then sentenced to pay 427,000 rubles to a military unit of the FSB for car repairs. The prosecutor’s office initially sought seven years in prison for the accused. It is expected that an appeal in the Borisov case will take place in the Moscow City Court on November 11.

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Actions on January 23 in support of Navalny in photographs
For Navalny – in more than 110 cities
All over Russia, unauthorized rallies took place in support of the politician Alexei Navalny, who faces a real prison term. More than 110 cities of the country have joined the protests, the OVD-Info portal calculated. DW has compiled the key shots and the most important facts about the January 23 rallies.

Actions on January 23 in support of Navalny in photographs
Record detentions
In many cities, protesters were violently dispersed by the police. According to OVD-Info, more than 3,000 people were detained in different regions. This is the highest figure in nine years of calculations by this human rights portal. A significant proportion of the arrests took place in Moscow – over 1200. About 500 people were detained in St. Petersburg.

Actions on January 23 in support of Navalny in photographs
More than ten criminal cases
As a result of the rallies, at least 11 criminal cases have already been opened against their participants, OVD-Info reports. In particular, in three cases, cases were opened on the use of violence against police officers.

Actions on January 23 in support of Navalny in photographs
Tens of thousands on the streets of Moscow
The rally in Moscow was the largest uncoordinated rally in the Russian capital since 2013. The number of participants varies. “White counter” counted 15 thousand people at the peak and more than 20 thousand for the entire time of the action, Reuters quoted the figure at 40 thousand, Navalny’s headquarters – 50 thousand people. The official estimate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is 4,000 protesters in Pushkin Square.

Actions on January 23 in support of Navalny in photographs
On Nevsky Prospect
The protest action in St. Petersburg turned out to be numerous as well. According to local media estimates, 10-20 thousand people took to the streets. The police drove the protesters out of Senate Square, and they went to Nevsky Prospekt. In the late afternoon, harsh detentions began. A video showing how a riot policeman kicked a woman in the stomach, who turned to him with a question, caused a great resonance in social networks.

Actions on January 23 in support of Navalny in photographs
Round dance in Khabarovsk – for Navalny and Furgal
Residents of Khabarovsk were among the first to protest into the street. Here, the rally in support of Navalny was combined with traditional rallies for the ex-governor of Furgal. At its peak, the rally gathered at least 1,500 people. The protesters danced in a round dance on Lenin Square, cordoned off by riot police, and then went on a march through the city. As a result, the police detained 58 people.

Actions on January 23 in support of Navalny in photographs
In other regions of the Russian Federation, they also demanded “Changes”
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Actions on January 23 in support of Navalny in photographs
Thousands of protesters at the Russian Embassy in Berlin
Actions in support of Navalny took place not only in Russia. In Berlin, according to DW estimates, at least 3,000 people took to the streets. This is one of the most massive Russian-language political events in the modern history of the city. The protesters marched from the department of the Federal Chancellor to the building of the Russian embassy.

Actions on January 23 in support of Navalny in photographs
Around the world
Rallies for the arrested Russian politician were also held in dozens of cities around the world. Vilnius, Prague (pictured), Amsterdam, Rome, London, Paris, Vienna, Barcelona, Tel Aviv, New York and many other cities have joined the protest against the repression against Alexei Navalny.

Actions on January 23 in support of Navalny in photographs
Dud, Noize MC, Cross …
Celebrities also took part in the protest. The popular video blogger Yuri Dud appeared at the rally in Vladivostok. In Moscow, the action was supported by rappers Noize MC and Vlady from the Casta group (pictured), YouTube blogger Nikolai Sobolev, actress Alexandra Bortich, and writer Dmitry Glukhovsky. Stand-up comedian Danila Poperechny and the organizer of rap battles “Restorator” were spotted at the procession in St. Petersburg.
Author: Ilya Koval