Jailed Activist Suffers Concussion
Moscow, December 23rd:
Sergei Konstantinov, one of the leaders of the “Free Radicals” movement, has been beaten by law enforcement officers after a court hearing on his recent arrest. He has been hospitalized at a Moscow clinic for his wounds, with a tentative diagnosis of a concussion to the brain.
Konstantinov had been arrested at a sanctioned demonstration on December 21st, and was standing trial along with three other activists. Individuals in the courtroom reported that four witnesses, Nikolai Zboroshenko, Aleksei Kazakov, Maria Paramonova and Valentina Chubarova, were forcefully expelled from the proceedings.
Sergei Konstantinov was ultimately sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest, and was fined 1000 rubles (€28 or $40). The three other arrested activists were also fined between 1000 and 2000 rubles, and two of them were sentenced to 10 days arrest. All four were charged with noncompliance to a militsiya officer and participating in an unsanctioned picket.
On December 21st, OMON Special Forces violently dispersed an opposition protest in Moscow, and arrested around 20 participants. Protesters had formally registered the demonstration to protest against violations in the December 2nd State Duma elections, but had also used the occasion to speak out against the illegal arrest and conscription of Oleg Kozlovsky.