Russian activist fined after reading constitution on Red Square
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 15 June 2017 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russian activist fined after reading constitution on Red Square, 15 June 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59818de9a.html [accessed 1 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
June 15, 2017 12:43 GMT
Ildar Dadin (file photo)
Russian political activist Ildar Dadin has been fined after reading aloud from the Russian Constitution on Red Square outside the Kremlin.
A court in Moscow fined Dadin 20,000 rubles ($350) on June 15 for holding a public gathering without permission from the authorities.
He was detained on Red Square on June 12, amid antigovernment protests elsewhere in central Moscow and in cities nationwide.
Dadin was sentenced to three years in prison in December 2015, when he was convicted under a controversial law that criminalizes participation in more than one unsanctioned public gathering in a 180-day period.
The punishment was later reduced to 2 1/2 years, and he was released on February 26 after the Supreme Court threw out his conviction and ordered the case closed.
Dadin, the only person convicted under the law, was considered a political prisoner by major human rights groups.
His plight attracted additional attention last autumn, when he alleged he and other inmates had been tortured and abused at a prison in Karelia.
Since his release, Dadin has continued to protest to call attention to abuse and inhumane conditions in Russian prisons.
Based on reporting by Rapsinews and Interfax
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
