Rostov activist Loshkaryov sentenced to two years in colony-settlement

Sergey Loshkaryov, a public activist from Rostov-on-Don, accused of arms dealing, has been found guilty and sentenced to two years in a colony-settlement, his advocate Leonid Novikov has reported today.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on June 5, 2014, Sergey Loshkaryov was detained in Novocherkassk and then placed under administrative arrest. The activist is accused of illicit trafficking in arms and ammunition, and his case is under consideration at the Novocherkassk City Court since January 2015.

Loshkaryov became known after posting his video records on the YouTube about cutting trees in the "Krasnaya Vesna" (Red Spring) Grove. On November 8, 2013, the City Duma of Novocherkassk decided to allocate a part of the grove for building two kindergartens. Most of the duma deputies believed that building kindergartens in the grove was the best option for the city; however, local residents protested against the decision and held rallies.

Judge Victor Shilin passed his sentence to Sergey Loshkaryov on May 8, the spokesman of the Novocherkassk City Court told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" recognized Loshkaryov as a political prisoner. Rights defenders believe that the criminal case against him was opened because of his videos posted on the Internet in March and April 2014, in which Loshkaryov criticized the policy of the Russian leadership with regard to Ukraine.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.