Several journalists arrested for protesting outside Moscow police headquarters

Several journalists were arrested for protesting outside of the Moscow police headquarters, including Mediazona editor-in-chief Sergey Smirnov, and Ekho Moskvy journalists Tatyana Felgenhauer and Alexander Plyushchev, reports the Telegram channel “Apologiya Protesta.” 

All three journalists were holding solo pickets in support of journalist and activist Ilya Azar, who was sentenced to 15 days administrative arrest earlier in the day on May 28.

According to Apologiya Protesta, 10 lawyers working with their project are prepared to defend anyone who may be arrested for holding single-person pickets in Moscow over the course of May 28–29. 

On May 28, Moscow’s Tver District Court sentenced Novaya Gazeta journalist Ilya Azar to 15 days administrative arrest, after finding him guilty of repeatedly violating the law on public gatherings. Azar was arrested for holding a single-person picket in support of arrested “Police Ombudsman” administrator Vladimir Vorontsov on May 26.