- Title: Russian bands show solidarity with jailed protesters at Moscow concert
- Date: 18th September 2019
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (SEPTEMBER 17, 2019) (REUTERS) PEOPLE GATHERING OUTSIDE EVENT VENUE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SISTER OF PAVEL USTINOV, YULIA USTINOVA, SAYING: "We are outraged as we have presented all the evidence that proves he is innocent. Of course they turned everything upside down in the way that benefited them. We were not prepared for that, but we supposed it could have happened this way, because there was the proof. The judge refused to take a look at the video - but you can see that Pasha (Pavel Ustinov) did not shout anything, he was just standing there, using his phone. We are outraged by that."
- Embargoed: 2nd October 2019 10:09
- Keywords: Moscow case protest in Russia charity auction protest support Ustinov actor jailed novice actor
- Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- City: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA004AX6Q5H5
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Russian political activists and friends and relatives of people detained during protests this summer in Moscow gathered on Tuesday (September 17) for a concert and charity auction in support of those still in detention.
Proceeds from the auction - which included rare placards, books and banners used in the protests - will be transferred to human rights organisations to support activists who await trial or have been sentenced to prison terms.
One case that received particular attention on Russian social media was that of 23-year-old novice actor Pavel Ustinov, who was sentenced on Monday (September 16) to three and a half years in jail for dislocating a police officer's shoulder.
Ustinov was arrested during an Aug. 3 rally in Moscow. He denied the charges and said he had not even taken part in the protest.
Ustinov's sister Yulia said she did not consider his trial fair as not all the evidence had been considered.
Activists and other attendees at the concert said they hoped to see increasing public pressure against the detentions.
Police arrested more than two thousand people at protests over the summer that flared after more than a dozen opposition candidates were barred from taking part in a local election in Moscow that was held this month.
Several were given jail terms of up to three and a half years for assaulting police officers, convictions the opposition says are part of a broader crackdown aimed at stymying its activities.
The authorities say many of this summer's opposition protests were illegal because they were not formally authorised and that people were prosecuted for breaking the law.
(Production: Alexander Reshetnikov, Dmitry Turlyun) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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