21:55, 8 April 2019

Female picketer demands to stop Mikhail Benyash's case

Screenshot from post about picket in support of Mikhail Benyash, April 8, 2019, https://t.me/yugmbkmedia/164

Activist Yana Antonova went on a solo picket in Krasnodar in support of the lawyer, Mikhail Benyash, who was accused of using violence against a policeman at detention.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the Krasnodar office of the opposition politician, Alexei Navalny, had linked the persecution of Mikhail Benyash with his legal support rendered to the oppositionists. At the court session on March 26, the defence of Benyash exposed Krasnodar officials' perjury.

On April 9, the Leninsky District Court of Krasnodar will have another session on Benyash's case. Today, on the eve of the session, a Krasnodar activist, Yana Antonova, went out to hold her solo picket at the city administration, says a message posted the "Yug. MBKh Media" Telegram channel.

In the photo, which accompanies the post, it is seen that the poster reads "Hands off Benyash!"

Mikhail Benyash was detained on September 9, 2018, in Krasnodar together with the participants of the unsanctioned rally against the pension reform – the lawyer was going to provide legal aid to the detained activists. According to Mr Benyash, after his detention he was beaten up. He served 14 days of administrative arrest under the case of disobeying a policeman, after which he was detained again on charges of assaulting policemen. The court allowed Benyash to get released on bail.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on April 8, 2019 at 05:59 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.