Last Monday the Tagansky court of Moscow made a decision on the case of seven National Bolshevist party members accused of attacking the “passing pedestrians”. 

Roman Popkov, Nazir Magomedov, Vladimir Titov, Elena Borovskaya, Alexei Makarov, Dmitry Elizarov, Sergei Medvedev were sentenced to 1.5-2.5 year of prison. Giving the punishment in a form of real prison term the judge Elena Ivanova proceeded from the “public threat posed by the deed” that manifested itself in “gross violation of the public order”.   

The “violation” happened on 13 April 2006. That day the Tagansky court was considering the action by prohibited now National Bolshevist party against the Ministry of Justice that had refused the party’s registration. Before the proceedings began, the leader of the party Eduard Limonov had been thrown at the eggs and pellets, which was done by about 40 activists of the “Mestnye” pro-Kremlin’s movement. The National Bolshevist members attempted to beat off the attack and so fighting began. Both groups used the traumatic weapons and saps.

With the help from national bolshevists the police managed to arrest the major provocateurs. The prosecutor’s office started a criminal case on accusing the “passing pedestrians” of attacking made on the national bolshevists. However, a month later the situation made a round-about turn and the “Mestnye” became the grieved party, while the criminal case was started against national-bolshevists. Soon after that the arrests followed.    

The accused of hooliganism national bolshevists have spent about two years in the pre-trial prison. So the term of each of them will be over this summer. During the mentioned period four judges and four prosecutors changed during the trial. The witnesses and the “victims” not attending the court proceedings, it had to be adjourned repeatedly.     

Explaining the choice of real punishment and not putting on parole, the judge said, “Correction of the accused is only possible under conditions of isolation from the society”. In judge’s opinion the accused exceeded the limits of justifiable self-defense. 

The lawyers of the national bolshevists are discontent with the court’s decision. The defense is going to appeal it, and to place a complaint in the European court after that. 

On the contrary, Eduard Limonov, the party’s leader, who attended the court proceeding, seemed to be satisfied as he had expected worse, as he reported to the journalists.