On December 2, 2015 candidate of political science, who before his arrest worked as deputy head of the department of the history of medicine and social and humanitarian sciences of the Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University (the 2nd State Medical Institute), anarchist and editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Moskovskaya Elektrichka” Dmitri Yevgenievich Buchenkov was arrested. He was charged with participating in the events in Bolotnaya Square on May 6, 2012 under part 2, article 212 (“Participating in mass riots”) and part 1, article 318 (“Use of force not dangerous to life or health against a representative of the authorities”) of the Russian Criminal Code.

The next day, December 3, 2015, a judge at the Basmanny district court remanded him in custody as a pre-trial measure. In violation of the Criminal Procedural Code of the Russian Federation the hearing was conducted without informing Buchenkov’s lawyer Svetlana Sidorkina, representing the AGORA association; there is information that the accused came under pressure from employees of the Centre for Combating Extremism. Dmitri Buchenkov claims that on May 6, 2012 he was not in Bolotnaya Square, but on that day he was visiting his parents in Nizhny Novgorod before a trip to Greece on May 9, 2012.

The Memorial human rights centre considered and still considers the Case of May 6 completely illegal and unfounded. We are certain that the events of May 6, 2012 had no signs of mass riots, and the evidence of the guilt of those previously convicted of using force against police officers was based on crude falsifications, and also on a biased and one-sided investigation.

The unfounded and inappropriate circumstances of the case also include the choice of custody as the pre-trial measure in connection with charges that are based on unclear photographs from over three years ago, against a person who never hid during all that time.

The Memorial human rights centre considers Dmitri Buchenkov a political prisoner and demands the immediate and unconditional release of him and the other Bolotnaya prisoners.

Recognising a person as a political prisoner or as prosecuted for political reasons does not mean that the Memorial human rights centre agrees with his views or statements, or that it approves of his statements or actions.

More details about the Case of May 6 can be found in the information page on our website: http://memohrc.org/special-projects/delo-o-sobytiyah-na-bolotnoy-ploshchadi-6-maya-2012-goda