Brussels, 21/08/2014 (Agence Europe) - Concerned about the recent convictions by Moscow Courts of six activists involved in the Bolotnaya Square events of May 2012, the spokesperson to High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton called on Russia on 20 August to “honour its international human rights obligations”. He particularly stressed the “right to a fair trial and the respect of freedoms of expression, assembly and association”.
The spokesperson repeated that the EU considers the sentences handed down to the activists as “not only disproportionate, in the light of the nature of the events and the offences these activists are accused of”, but also as an attack on the “exercise of freedom of expression and of assembly in Russia”.
Several protesters who were found guilty of committing acts of violence against police officers and of rioting were sentenced to long suspended prison terms and others to several years' imprisonment. On 6 May, an opposition demonstration held in Bolotnaya Square, with the permission of the authorities, degenerated into clashes between protesters and police officers. More than 400 people were arrested as a result of the demonstration. (CG)