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Leonid Kovyazin
is one of 27 people who
are currently on trial because of their involvement in
the mass demonstration on 6th of May 2012. On that date,
immediately before President Putin's inauguration, about
100,000-120,000 people took part in a peaceful protest
in Moscow. The police suddenly blocked the way to
Bolotnaya (Swamp) Square where the SANCTIONED march was
to terminate thus provoking a clash with the protesters.
Then the police announced the demonstration was
cancelled and immediately attacked the protesters,
beginning to disperse them with the aid of batons and
tear gas. As a result, approximately 600 people were
arrested on the spot, hundreds were injured. Criminal
charges were initiated not against the unlawful police
officers but against the lawful protesters for
participating in mass disorder and acts of violence. 27
people were selected by the authorities to serve as
examples in a theatre of show-case prosecutions.
Leonid Kovyazin, a free-lance journalist of the
newspaper 'Vyatskiy Observer' was arrested on the 5th of
September 2012 in Kirov where he lived and studied. The
reason for his arrest was the video of the event showing
him moving two mobile public toilets in an attempt to
protect himself from attacking soldiers of the OMON, an
elite unit
(according to other sources "barely touching one of the
toilets"). He was present on Bolotnaya Square as a
journalist.
Not a political person,
Kovyazin is however a very keen defender of animals
rights and a vegetarian, and also a lover of visual and
performing arts. In 2004 he moved to Kirov to
his grandmother and enrolled the Department of
Philosophy and Culture of the local university
supporting himself and her by various temporary jobs.
His grandmother is now 78 years old and needs constant
care.
As it was with other prisoners, the lawyer of Kovyazin
requested his detention awaiting trial to be under house arrest.
This was refused
because, according to the procurator because of the fact that Kovyazin "did not come to the police at his free will
and did not confess his crime". Naturally, the question
what kind of crime is the moving public toilets and
hiding behind them was left unanswered and the defendant
was left in jail. Furthermore, the judge stated that
even apart from that there are plenty of reasons to suspect
that the defendant, being released, will run away: "no
permanent job, single, and living in another city".
On 28th of March 2013
Leonid Kovyazin married
Evgenia Tarasova. The marriage ceremony took place in
prison. Various prominent Russian newspapers petitioned
the court requesting the release of their colleague to
no avail.
Released under amnesty
19.12.2013
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