Russia: Guilty verdict in Bolotnaya case - injustice at its most obvious

"In what was clearly a show trial, a Moscow court found guilty eight defendants in the Bolotnaya case...

The verdicts in the Bolotnaya case are part of a wider clampdown on freedoms of assembly, association and expression since Vladimir Putin resumed the Russian presidency on 7 May 2012. A day earlier, the Bolotnaya protest took place against his controversial return to power...

Hundreds of peaceful anti-government protesters were arrested during the Bolotnaya Square protest on 6 May 2012 which police dispersed using excessive and unlawful force.

Criminal proceedings have subsequently been initiated against 28 individuals. Although the demonstration was predominantly peaceful, and all violence limited to certain areas and involving only a small number of protesters, the authorities described the event as 'mass riots', which allowed them to bring heavier charges against the accused."