Source: HRO.org

On 28 September 2016, Moscow civic activist Roman Roslovtsev, known for his protest actions wearing a Putin mask, was taken to the Tverskoi district court.

However, his case was rescheduled for 24 November 2016, Kasparov.ru reports. The attorney for the arrested Nikolai Sboroshenko, who is engaged as well as in several other trials, including Roslovtsev’s appeal against his administrative detention, petitioned for the transfer of the hearing. The trial in Moscow City Court was scheduled at the same time as a hearing was to take place in Tverskoi district court.

Roslovtsev was released by the court in connection with the case’s transfer. Meanwhile, the poster, “I’m not afraid of 212.1,” which the activist has used in his solitary actions, was not returned to him. Roman Roslovtsev himself stated he intends to continue his protests.

In August 2016, Roman Roslovtsev, who has been arrested several times during actions in Moscow wearing a Putin mask, asked Ukrainian authorities for asylum because of political persecution.

Roslovtsev has regularly held solitary protests during which he has strolled near the Kremlin wearing a Putin mask holding a poster, “I’m not afraid of 212.1” (the Criminal Code article that requalifies more than three administrative charges of violating the procedure for holding public events, received in the course of six months, as a criminal case).

Eleven administrative cases under the article on multiple violations of the procedure for conducting public events (20.2) have been opened against the activist, and he has served long administrative detentions.

On 21 July 2016, the activist stated that he had been abducted by plainclothes special services agents who threatened him with trouble if he continued his activities and noted that “they were no longer going to let him” go out on Red Square.

Translated by Marian Schwartz