Solo picket of judge Novikov's mother in Krasnodar interrupted by militia

On September 24 at 10:00 a.m., Tamara Novikova, mother of the Sochi judge Dmitri Novikov, went out to hold her regular picket at the building of the Territorial Court at No. 3 Morskaya Street in Krasnodar; however, her action was stopped by power agents.

In early July, the qualifying board of judges of the Krasnodar Territory gave their consent to initiation of a criminal case against Dmitri Novikov, a former judge of the Khosta District Court of Sochi, who was accused of bribe-taking. Also, judge Novikov figures as defendant in another case - on swindle.

Tamara Novikova unwrapped her poster running: "Freedom to judge Dmitri Novikov", "Shame to chairman of Territorial Court Chernov" and "Is the Russian CCP (Code of Criminal Procedure) active in the Territory?" While standing on the sidewalk opposite the court, Tamara was giving to passers-by copies of the letter of his son Dmitri, written by him at the SIZO (pre-trial prison) of the Territorial FSB, published in "Kurortnaya Nedelya" No. 34 and telling about the facts of corruption in the bodies of regional power.

"15 minutes after the start of my action," Ms Novikova said, "two court marshals went out of the court building, came up to me and asked about when I should leave. I answered: when my illegally detained son is at large, and his safety is ensured."

Then, according to her story, the marshals left, but then appeared again and tried to block the woman with their bodies from passers-by, at the same time demanding from her to stop the picket. Tamara categorically refused saying that she was doing nothing illegal.

At that moment someone called the militia. The arrived employees of the patrol-sentry service also began demanding that the woman folded up her poster and left the area of the territorial court.

"In order to avoid provocations," as Tamara Novikova explained, she decided to stop her picket; however, she noted that she would continue her solo pickets at the Territorial Court on the everyday basis.