Dinar Idrisov receives administrative sentence
On 14 June 2017, the Dzerzhinsky district Court of Saint Petersburg found the human rights defender, Dinar Idrisov, guilty of “petty hooliganism” and sentenced him to fourteen days of administrative detention.
Dinar Idrisov is a Saint Petersburg based human rights defender and a member of the human rights initiative, Saint Petersburg Observers. He advocates for the rights to freedom of assembly and expression, the rule of law, and voting rights. He is also active in advocating for accountability from the authorities and law enforcement agencies, through monitoring court hearings, public protests, and elections, as well as presenting the interests and defending the rights of detained and judicially harassed civil activists and protesters.
On 14 June 2017, the Dzerzhinsky district Court of Saint Petersburg found the human rights defender, Dinar Idrisov, guilty of “petty hooliganism” and sentenced him to fourteen days of administrative detention.
On 13 June 2017 at the Dzerzhinsky district Court of Saint Petersburg, Dinar Idrisov was attempting to provide legal assistance to activists and protesters who were on trial after they were arbitrarily detained during the anti-corruption demonstrations in Saint Petersburg on 12 June 2017. A judge of the court denied him access to the detainees and ordered his arrest. In the court building, the police accused Dinar Idrisov of failure to follow an order of a judge or bailiff under Article 17.3 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation, and released him. When Dinar Idrisov left the court building, an unidentified person threw a bottle at him, that the defender managed to avoid. Immediately following the attack, police officers arrested Dinar Idrisov and took him to a special administrative detention facility in Gatchina city.
At 6 pm on 14 June 2017, Dinar Idrisov was put on trial by the Dzerzhinsky district Court of Saint Petersburg, where he was found guilty of ”petty hooliganism” under Article 20.1 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation, owing to 'swearwords' that the defender allegedly directed at his attacker. The court hearing lasted six hours and was held behind closed doors. After the court announced the guilty verdict, Dinar Idrisov was transferred to a detention centre in Gatchina city to serve his sentence.
Front Line Defenders expresses its concern at the administrative conviction of Dinar Idrisov and believes it to be in reprisal for his defense of people detained during the demonstrations of 12 June 2016 and directly related to his human rights work in denouncing human rights violations in the Russian Federation.
Front Line Defenders calls on the authorities of the Russian Federation to:
1.Immediately quash the sentence Dinar Idrisov and take all necessary measures to ensure his immediate and unconditional release and to guarantee his physical and psychological security and integrity;
2. Carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into attack and arbitrary arrest of Dinar Idrisov, with a view to publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards;
3. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in the Russian Federation are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions.
