17:41, 28 September 2006

Court founds arrest of human rights activist Lev Ponomaryov to be legitimate

The Tverskoj Court of Moscow has found legitimate the three-day arrest ruling of Lev Ponomaryov, head of the Public Movement "For Human Rights." Thus, the court has refused to satisfy the petition of Ponomaryov's defender who insisted on termination of the administrative case, the RIA "Novosti" reports.

We remind you that today the Court located in Tsvetnoj Boulevard has considered an appeal against the arrest of Lev Ponomaryov, leader of the All-Russian Movement "For Human Rights," sentenced to three days in custody for organizing a non-sanctioned picket in memory of the victims of Beslan tragedy, and for "defiance of legitimate requirements" of militiamen at dispersal of this picket on September 3, 2006, in Lubyanka Square of the Russian capital.

Prior to the start of the court session, advocate Stavitskaya told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the ruling of the magistrate court to arrest Lev Ponomaryov was obviously illegal, and the Tverskoj District Court should cancel the ruling and release the human rights defender.