11 October 2019, 22:24
Kuban Court finds Mikhail Benyash guilty of assaulting policemen
Today, in Krasnodar, the court has pronounced a decision to fine advocate Mikhail Benyash 30,000 roubles, taking into account his one-month stay in a SIZO (pre-trial prison).
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the court released Mikhail Benyash on bail. The public prosecutor claimed that the Mikhail Benyash's guilt of assaulting policemen was fully proved and requested the court to fine the defendant 40,000 roubles. Mikhail Benyash objected that witnesses testified enough to prove he was not guilty.
On September 9, 2018, Mikhail Benyash was detained in Krasnodar together with participants of an unsanctioned rally against the pension reform. According to Mikhail Benyash, he was beaten after his detention. He served 14 days of his administrative arrest in the case on disobedience to a policeman, but on December 19, the Krasnodar Territorial Court cancelled a decision on the Mikhail Benyash's arrest.
The Leninsky District Court of Krasnodar found Mikhail Benyash guilty under Article "Use of violence not dangerous to life or health against a public officer." Mikhail Benyash was sentenced to a fine of 60,000 roubles, but because of the fact that the defendant spent a month in the SIZO, Mikhail Benyash will have to pay only half the amount, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reported from the courtroom.
Advocate Alexander Pikhovkin announced the intention to challenge the verdict at the Krasnodar Regional Court within 10 days. According to the advocate, if the Krasnodar Regional Court refuses to change the guilty verdict, then Mikhail Benyash will be deprived of his advocacy status.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 11, 2019 at 05:40 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Anna Gritsevich Source: CK correspondent
