MOSCOW — A Moscow court has convicted two people of using force on police at a July 27 protest rally and given them multi-year prison sentences.
The court ruled on Wednesday that 28-year-old Kirill Zhukov used illegal force by pulling up a riot police officer’s visor. Zhukov received a three-year prison term.
Another judge gave 48-year-old Yevgeny Kovalenko 3½ years for pushing one officer and throwing a garbage can at another.
The protest was over Russian election officials disqualifying a dozen opposition and independent Moscow city council candidates. Government critics have said protesters being put on trial as an attempt to intimidate opposition supporters.
Investigators on Tuesday dropped rioting charges against five people but four others are still under investigation.
