Bolotnaya Square case defendant wins 12,500 euros from Russia

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Bolotnaya Square case defendant Yaroslav Belousov is to be compensated in the amount of 12,500 euros (approximately $13,953) by the Russian Federation on account of torture, unrightful detention, an unfair trial, and being denied freedom of assembly.

This is the first ECHR ruling related to the Bolotnaya Square case. According to Pavel Chikov, head of human rights organization Agora, Russia's sentencing should immediately be revoked when the court's ruling goes into effect.

In his application to the court, Belousov said that his arrest had been unreasonable and that his conditions during pre-trial detention were inhumane. During the trial, Belousov, as is customary in Russia, sat in a metal cage in the Russian courtroom.

Yaroslav Belousov was detained one month after the May 6, 2012 clashes on Bolotnaya Square. According to investigators, he was throwing stones and pieces of asphalt at police and partook in breaking apart a police blockade. In February 2014, he was sentenced to two and a half years in prison; his sentence was subsequently reduced by three months. He was released in September 2014.

Belousov is one of dozens of defendants in the Bolotnaya Square case. Many of them have already been released, though others remain in detention.

The Bolotnaya Square protests began on May 6, 2012, the day before Vladimir Putin's inauguration as president. The demonstrations turned into clashes with the police.