Mikhail Tsakunov
- Criminal Code
- Article 318 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
- Case category
- Cases related to mass actions
- Verdict
- Fine
- Date of verdict
- 2019-05-19
- Region
- Saint Petersburg
- City
- Saint Petersburg
- Address for letters
- 196655, Ленинградская область, г. Колпино, Колпинская ул., д. 9, ФКУ СИЗО-1 УФСИН России по Санкт-Петербургу и Ленинградской области "Кресты", Цакунов Михаил Сергеевич, 1993 г.р.
Case summary
Tsakunov was detained on 5 May 2018 after the "He is not our Tsar" rally. At around 5pm near the garden of the Winter Palace, Tsakunov and his friends hailed a taxi and were about to leave for home after the rally, but noticed the police telling the janitors to throw away a large inflatable duck, a protest sign from the "He is not your Dimon" rally. The young people spoke with the janitors and took the duck away. The police noticed this and began to detain the young men. Initially the protocol was drawn up on Tsakunov about violation of the rules of holding the rally (Article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offences), later a line was added stating that during the arrest he knocked out a tooth of a police officer. The next day he was charged under Part 2 of Article 318 of the Criminal Code (use of violence against a police officer, dangerous to his life and health). According to the investigation, Tsakunov hit police officer Sukharukov A.A., who participated in his detention, and knocked out Sukharukov's tooth with this blow.
On 26 April 2019, the charge against Tsakunov was reclassified to the use of violence not dangerous to life and health of a representative of authority - the investigation found that Sukharukov had a nerve removed before Tsakunov hit him. Tsakunov was released from the pre-trial detention centre on personal recognisance.
On 20 May Tsakunov was sentenced to a fine of 100,000 rubles (ca US$1,080). The court exempted him from paying the fine due to the fact that Tsakunov had spent 11 months in pre-trial detention centre. The court also decided to recover 26,000 rubles (ca US$ 280) from Tsakunov in favour of the police officer to pay the costs of dental services.
On 17 September 2019, the appeal court overturned Tsakunov's verdict and acquitted him.
Others charged under Article 318 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
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Source: this person’s record in the OVD-Info political persecution database
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