Alexander Margolin
Alexander Margolin, born 1971, Moscow. Charges: Article 212 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Participation in mass riots); Article 318 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Use of non-dangerous violence against a government official); “The case of the Four”. Sentence (August 17, 2014): Three years six months' imprisonment in a general regime colony. Status: at large. Recognition: Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner, December 29, 2015; Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as a political prisoner.
In brief
Moscow · Moscow · Office workers · Cases related to mass actions
Sentence
3 years 6 months
Three years six months' imprisonment in a general regime colony
Upheld November 26, 2014
Charges
- Article 212 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Participation in mass riots
- Article 318 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Use of non-dangerous violence against a government official
Full wording of the charges
Participated in mass riots on Bolotnaya Square on 6 May 2012, used violence against police officers
Latest event
February 9, 2016 — imprisonment ends
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as a political prisoner — Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners, December 29, 2015
- Recognised as a political prisoner — Memorial Human Rights Centre
Timeline
· Imprisonment ends
· Persecution ends
· Recognised as a political prisoner
Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 3 years 6 months
· Persecution begins
The case of the Four
Criminal case
The case of the Four
- Case number
- 01-0032/2017(01-0543/2016)
Other defendants in the case
- Alexei Gaskarov — At large, 3 years 6 months
- Ilya Gushchin — At large, 2 years 6 months
- Elena Kokhtareva — At large, 3 years 3 months
Thematic group: The case of the five; Bolotnaya case
Details and sources
Full summary
Alexander Margolin is one of many ordinary participants of the 6 May 2012 action on Bolotnaya Square, who does not belong to any movements or parties. He had participated in mass protest events before, and in December 2011 he was detained and sentenced to 10 days of arrest. Following the Bolotnaya rally, he was detained on 20 February 2013 and initially questioned as a witness, but was arrested a day later on charges of participation in the mass riots that allegedly took place on Bolotnaya and use of violence against a representative of the authorities. Investigator Timofei Grachev claimed that Margolin was hiding from the investigation, although Margolin himself claimed that he was living openly, had not received any summonses and did not know that the investigation was interested in him. In May 2013, on the eve of a court hearing to extend Margolin's detention, the Investigative Committee seized both cars of the Margolin family as future compensation for damage to asphalt pavement worth 28 million roubles, according to an assessment by an investigative expert. According to the investigation, Margolin threw policeman Bazhanov to the ground and kicked him twice.
On 18 August 2014, the Zamoskvoretsky Court sentenced Alexander Margolin to three and a half years' imprisonment in a general regime colony. The Moscow City Court left the judgement unchanged. On 9 February 2016, he was released on parole
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
Other people prosecuted under Article 212 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.