Aleksei Polikhovich, sentenced to 3.5 years for mass riots at the March of Millions on 6th May 2012, was beaten up by police officers after the court hearing. This was reported on Wednesday, 26th February, by Dmitry Gudkov, a member of the State Duma, on his Facebook page citing Aleksei's father.

“On 24th February after the court hearing one of the guards, the chief Sergeant, beat Aleksei up until he lost consciousness”, Gudkov quotes Polikhovich senior.

According to the father, in the court room Aleksei Polikhovich was forced to sign a paper that said that he had been handed a copy of the sentence , although he had not been given one. When he demanded that he been given a copy of the document, he was dragged to the police van by the guards. “He started to demand that he be given a copy of the sentence notice, and one of the guards, the largest of them, began to verbally abuse him. When Polikhovich demanded that he be treated in a proper way and stop the abuse, he was beaten until he passed out”. In the prison hospital his injuries were recorded”, Aleksei's father said.

Polikhovich senior has asked Gudkov to help to bring the police officer in question to justice, reports Zaks.ru.

In 2012, the march along the Yakimanka and the rally on Bolotnaya Square had been approved in advance by the authorities. However, disorder and clashes took place between police and demonstrators. Dozens were injured and more than 400 were arrested. The Investigative Committee initiated criminal cases under Article 212 of the Criminal Code of the RF (rioting), and a number of  people were also charged with violence against representatives of the State (Article 318 of the Criminal Code of the RF).

Translated by Olga Cable