In Komi Republic journalist claimed against police officers’ actions
Syktyvkar city court (Komi Republic) considered and answered the legal claim lodged by newspaper Krasnoye Znamya photo correspondent Andrei Shopsha against the republic’s Internal Affairs Department in connection with his unlawful detention by the police.
“Neither my assurances that I was not a protester but a reporter fulfilling my editor’s assignment, nor my journalistic ID helped – they told me my ID and passport were forged, and took me to the police station for identification,” A.Shopsha said.
The journalist spent the following two hours at the police station, then was questioned and released with an apology but without explanations why he had been detained.
The court supported his legal claim, declaring his detention and restriction of his freedom of movement unlawful.
Natalia Severskaya,
Glasnost Defense Foundation staff correspondent