8th of june, investigation committee of Russian Federation announced, that home of 20 year old Stepan Zimin, who was detained as a suspect of having taken part to a riot at Bolotnaya square 6th of May was searched. According to police, a walkie-talkie, ski-mask, molotov cocktail and several passports were found. Stepan himself told his lawyer, Denis Deryukin, that during search only his own passport and army documents of his former flatmate were found. What comes to “molotov cocktail”, he said that it was just a bottle of acetone. Zimin is a student of Russian State Humanitarian University, and acetone is necessary to clean up his reenactement regalia. It is not illegal to own masks and walkie-talkies in Russia.Defence lawyer also told, that an OMON riot police officer had given testimony, claiming to recognise that Zimin threw him with pieces of asphalt, and also broke his finger. Stepan is has not admitted being guilty, and he states that he did not took part of the rioting.
Stepan was among hundreds of other peoples, who got arrested 6th of may. He was originally charged with a misdemeanor according to statute 19.3 of the Russian Administrative Codex, and attempts of investigative committee to charge him with a felony are illegal, as it is not allowed to charge one according to both misdemeanor and felony charges.
Just as arrested Alexandra Dukhanina, Stepan Zimin is a participator of anarchist and anti-fascist movements, Occupy-movement and also movement to defend forests of the Moscow region.
On sunday 10th it was announced, that court has decided to remand Zimin until 8th of August.
Three other persons, Alexandra Dukhanina, Andrey Barabanov and Maksim Luzyanin, have already been charged with “participation to riot” and “violence against government official”. Dukhanina is under a house arrest, Barabanov and Luzyanin are in remand prison. Investigation committee is has promised that more arrests will follow.
Additional information: +7 985 247 2065 (Moscow group of Autonomous Action)
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