State Duma Deputy suspected of beating policemen at rally in Rostov-on-Don

Policemen filed a complaint to the investigatory authorities of the Investigatory Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) in the Rostov Region, asking to institute criminal proceedings against Vladimir Bessonov, the State Duma Deputy, who caused them bodily harm during an unsanctioned rally, held in Rostov-on-Don in December 2011.

Let us remind you that on December 2, in Rostov-on-Don, unsanctioned rally was held by branches of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (the CPRF), the Liberal and Democratic Party of Russia (the LDPR), and the "Spravedlivaya Rossiya" (Fair Russia) Party. During the rally, near the residence of the Plenipotentiary Envoy for the South Federal District (SFD), a clash between participants of the rally and the OMON (riot police) fighters occurred. Eyewitnesses reported on mass arrests of the protesters.

According to the website of the ICRF, the investigators checked the facts, described in the complaint. According to the investigators, on December 2, 2011, in Rostov-on-Don, Vladimir Bessonov organized a rally, unsanctioned by the authorities, of more than 100 persons in the square in front of the residence of the Plenipotentiary Envoy of Russian President for the SFD.

The policemen, who arrived in the place, demanded to stop the event, which was not sanctioned by the authorities; however, Vladimir Bessonov refused. After that, the policeman from the regiment of patrol-and-post service and the deputy head of the Chief Department of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) in the Rostov Region tried to switch off the sound-amplifying equipment; in response, Vladimir Bessonov together with other participants of the rally stroke the policemen and damaged their police uniform.

The actions of Vladimir Bessonov contain elements of crime under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 318 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation use of violence against a government representative. In that regard, and also to establish all the circumstances of the incident, the ICRF appealed to the State Duma with a request to consent to institute a criminal case against the State Duma Deputy.