Volzhsky court finds Galina Tikhenko detained at rally guilty

Today, the magistrate court of the city of Volzhsky found pensioner Galina Tikhenko, detained at a rally in Volgograd, guilty of committing an administrative violation. However, the court released the pensioner from administrative liability, having pronounced an oral warning.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the pensioner Galina Tikhenko was detained on June 12 in Volgograd during the opposition rally, which was held by the regional branch of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF). According to law enforcement agencies, the woman, who came with posters reading: "For Honest Government!" and "No Police State!" was to coordinate them with the organizers of the event. The trial began on August 21.

Galina Tikhenko was charged under Part 5 of Article 20.2 of the Administrative Code the Russian Federation "violation by a participant of a public event of the established procedure for holding a meeting, rally, demonstration, march, and picket." According to police officers, violation, committed by Galina Tikhenko, was in dissemination and demonstration of slogans, no relevant to the theme of the event.

Today, the court hearing of the case against Galina Tikhenko questioned Andrei Shevchenko, the head of the organizational department of the regional committee of the CPRF. Let us remind you that Andrei Shevchenko wrote an explanatory statement at the police station, according to which he together with policemen approached the pensioner and asked her to remove her posters as uncoordinated with him; however, Galina Tikhenko refused to do that.

Today, Andrei Shevchenko stated that he wrote the explanatory statement "under police pressure, because of the hot weather, and because he had a lot to do." According to him, the incident is a "misunderstanding".

Nikolai Belikov, the lawyer of Galina Tikhenko, has told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the court decision is likely to be challenged at the Volzhsky City Court.