According to Dudnikova, the police later wrote in their reports that Kozhevatova was shouting slogans and refused to obey police orders several times.

“This is completely untrue,” she said.

Later that same day, Kuznetsov also sentenced Yury Melnichuk, a member of the Party of People’s Liberty (Parnas), to 10 days in prison.

Dudnikova, who was also a witness for Melnichuk, described the sentence as “ridiculous.”

“The hearing on charges of participating in an unsanctioned rally was postponed until a video recording of the event has been supplied, but he was sentenced to 10 days for failing to obey orders to stop participating in the rally,” she said.

“This means that it has not yet been proved that he participated in an unsanctioned rally, but he has already been sentenced for refusing to stop participating. I have no idea how this can be explained from a legal standpoint.”

“In reality, there was no rally at all, it was rather a series of attempts to hold a one-person demo that was immediately shut down.”

About 20 people were arrested at the demo. Olga Kurnosova, the local chair of the United Civil Front (OGF), was sentenced to one day in custody, but was released soon after as she had spent time at a police precinct before being sentenced.