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Moscow Court Acquits Opposition Activist Kasparov

25 August 2012 03:11 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. A Moscow court acquitted Russian chess grandmaster and opposition activist Garry Kasparov accused of violating peaceful gathering by shouting out slogans last week during the trial over Pussy Riot punk band, APA reports quoting RIA Novosti.

Kasparov claimed police arrested him for no reason as he was giving an interview, twisting his arms and kicking him in the crotch on the way to the police van, according to Rusnovosti.ru.

The judge said that policemen gave contradictory evidence during the trial and she was more inclined to believe photo- and video-evidence as well as witnessesâ€™ testimonies given by journalists and other people.

The judgeâ€™s verdict was met with applause at the court house and Kasparov later thanked all those, who supported him.

Police also said earlier that Kasparov bit on the finger one of several officers dragging him away from a Moscow court where three Pussy Riot members were convicted on August 17 over an anti-Kremlin â€œpunk prayerâ€ at an Orthodox Christian cathedral.

The Russian Investigative Committee, Russiaâ€™s analogue of the FBI, is currently checking into the matter of an attack on a policeman by Kasparov. The accusation can land him in jail for five years on charges of attacking a police officer on duty.

Kasparov also denied biting anyone during his detention and said the officer in question, Denis Ratnikov, could have run afoul of a police dog.

More than 50 people were held on August 17 by the Khamovnichesky district court, where Pussy Riot members were given jail terms of two years for hooliganism and inciting religious hatred.