Saint Petersburg: An artist and an anarchist have been discharged
Submitted by xAndyx on 1 March, 2014 - 21:54Dzerzhinsky district court of Petersburg has freed from charge artist Petr Pavlenskyi and anarchist Yaroslav Gradil. They were charged with disorderly conduct for their "Freedom" performance at Malyi Konyushennyi bridge. The message has came from Interfax with the link to activists lawyer Dinar Idrisov. Both have been freed from custody.
According to Administrative Offences Code article 20.1, they were faced up to 15 days of arrest.
At the same time, Idrisov added, another incident report has been filed, accusing Pavlinskyi according to AOC article 20.2 (violation of public event realization rules). Maria Alexandrova, who was released on Sunday, has noticed, that other detained were charged according to the same AOC article. Court hearing has not been scheduled yet.
The day before, Fontanka.Ru reported, that court hearing related to disorderly conduct charges against Alexandrova, has been rescheduled to March 5th.
"Freedom" performance, organized in support of Euromaidan in Ukraine, happened at 8 AM on February 23. Five people participated in action. They unfolded two flags — black, and Ukraine state flag at the Malyi Konyushennyi bridge, in front of Spas-na-Krovi church, laid out tyres, set them to fire, and began beating metallic sheets with the sticks.
"Burning tyres, Ukrainian flags, rumble of iron beats"—it is the song of liberation and revolution, stated action manifesto "Maidan is irreversibly spreading and penetrating the heart of the Empire. Struggle against imperialistic chauvinism continues." Activists have noticed: "Today, when the state calls to celebrate the Defender of the Fatherland
Day, we call everyone to join the Maidan festival, to defend their freedom." "Bridges are burning, there is no way back", they concluded.
The performance had lasted for 15-20 minutes. Then, firefighters arrived and doused the tyres. Straight after them, police arrived. Three of five activists were detained.
On Sunday, it was reported that Pavlenskyi and his fellows apartments has been searched. Soon, however, activists lawyer Igor Mangilev, disproved this information. "House-checks were impossible, because no criminal case was opened", — Mangilev said.
Later, Alexandrova, who has a child of tender years, was freed before the court hearing, and Pavlenskyi and Gradil stayed in police-station for a night. On Monday, the detained were brought to the court, but then they were returned back to the police station #78, as their case has been postponed.