20 December 2016

Source: HRO.org

Russia’s Supreme Court has dismissed the repeat appeal against the conviction of civic activist Ildar Dadin, who was sentenced to two and a half years in a general regime prison colony under Article 212.1 of the Russian Criminal Code ('repeated violations at rallies'), Grani.ru reports citing Interfax.

The judge who had initially reviewed the complaint, refused to pass it to the Court for consideration.

The first cassational appeal against Dadin’s conviction was filed at the beginning of August with the presidium of Moscow City Court. The document, drawn up by the political prisoner’s lawyers, Ksenia Kostromina and Aleksei Liptser, was supported by the Federal Ombudsman Tatyana Moskalkova. This complaint was accepted for consideration by the presidium, but was dismissed on September 30.

Kostromina and Liptser had already lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court on 10 November 2016. In early October the defence lodged an application concerning Dadin’s conviction with the European Court of Human Rights. According to the document filed with the Strasbourg court, in convicting Dadin Russia violated Article 11 (freedom of assembly and association) and Article 6 (right to a fair trial) of the European Convention, and also Protocol No. 7 to the Convention.

In addition, it has been reported that the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation has agreed to consider a complaint when it had been brought a second time by Dadin, Kostromina and Liptser against Article 212.1 of the Russian Criminal Code.

On 7 December 2015, Judge Natalya Udder, sitting in Moscow’s Baumann district court, sentenced Ildar Dadin to three years in a general regime prison colony. She pronounced the activist guilty of participating in protests on 6 August, 23 August, 13 September and 5 December 2014. On 31 March 2016, sitting in Moscow City Court, Judge Natalya Borisova, having considered Dadin’s appeal, reduced his sentence to two and a half years.

Amnesty International, the largest human rights organisation in the world, has recognised that Ildar Dadin as a prisoner of conscience, and launched an international campaign for his immediate release.

Memorial Human Rights Centre (Moscow) has recognised Ildar Dadin as a political prisoner (for more information about the case of Ildar Dadin, see here.)