Investigators to bring new charges in Bolotnaya Sqaure case

The investigation continues the search for the organisers of mass disorders in Bolotnaya Square in Moscow on May 6, 2012, and intends to bring new charges in the case, investigator Timofei Grachev said on Monday at a meeting of the Basmanny Court of Moscow on the issue of the extension of the house arrest term for oppositionist Sergei Udaltsov. “The investigation within the criminal case over the preparation of riots is planning to identify other alleged organisers of the riots,” said the investigator. He also filed a motion in court to extend the house arrest term for Udaltsov until August 6, because of the need to conduct new investigative actions and to establish an exhaustive list of the riots’ participants and organisers. The case of the preparation of riots in Russia was opened after the NTV television channel showed the film “Anatomy of a Protest-2,” in which leader of the Left Front movement Sergei Udaltsov and his aides were negotiating with the head of the Georgian Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Security, Givi Targamadze, and discussed with him the preparation of mass riots and their financing from abroad. The Russian Investigative Committee (SK) on January 10 consolidated this case with the case of the mass disorders in Bolotnaya Square in Moscow. The Bolotnaya Square case was opened after the events of May 6, 2012, when the government allowed the opposition forces to stage a rally in Bolotnaya Square of the RF capital. The rally turned into clashes with police and rioting. More than 400 people were detained on that day for wrongful acts, about 30 policemen and dozens of civilians were injured. There are a total of 19 defendants in the Bolotnaya Square riots case, one suspect is wanted. Givi Targamadze was arrested in absentia by the Basmanny Court of Moscow and put on the international wanted list. One of the leaders of Left Front, Leonid Razvozzhayev, is currently in a pre-trial detention centre, the other negotiator - Konstantin Lebedev, is under house arrest.