Moscow Court Upholds Prison Sentence For Activist Accused Of Beating Officer At Rally

Moscow City Court has upheld the two-year prison sentence handed down to an activist last month for assaulting police during an unsanctioned rally on July 27.

"The sentence in relation to Danila Beglets by Moscow's Tver District Court of September 3 shall be left unchanged and the appeals by his lawyers shall be dismissed," the Moscow City Court said.

Several sanctioned and unsanctioned rallies took place in Moscow over the summer in protest at a decision by authorities to prevent independent and opposition candidates from running in September 8 municipal elections.

Dozens of protesters have been fined or given jail sentences for organizing and participating in the unsanctioned rallies.

Several others were charged with taking part in "mass unrest" and allegedly assaulting police and are being kept in pretrial detention or handed stiff sentences.