Russian actor whose arresting officer dislocated his shoulder gets suspended sentence on appeal

The Moscow City Court has replaced actor Pavel Ustinov’s 3.5-year prison sentence with a one-year suspended sentence on appeal. However, the ruling found the lower court justified in convicting Ustinov of violence against a Russian National Guard officer. When Ustinov was arrested during Moscow’s August 3 election protest, one of the officers who forcibly subdued him allegedly suffered a dislocated shoulder.

Following the decision, Ustinov’s attorney said the actor would appeal his sentence. Ustinov himself continued to insist that he did not commit any legal violations but said he would also not seek charges against the officer who arrested him.

Ustinov’s case has become a touchstone for opponents of the “mass rioting” accusations that were brought this summer against a number of Moscow protesters.