Sochi: activist holds picket demanding to release Gudimov and Khristosenko

Ekaterina Voloshina, an employee of one of Sochi legal firms, has held a solo picket in protest against the actual ban on opposition protests and with a demand to release the arrested activists Konstantin Gudimov and Olesya Khristosenko.

"In my business, I hear a lot of people's stories about unfair treatment in courts and law enforcement bodies," Ekaterina Voloshina told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. She explained that she did not know personally Olesya Khristosenko and Konstantin Gudimov, arrested by a court judgement, but she was outraged with the judgements.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 24 the court sentenced Konstantin Gudimov to 12 days of arrest; and Olesya Khristosenko – to eight days. The court ruled that a bike tour around the city with balloons bearing Navalny's symbols, and photographing activists against the background of Navalny's office were public actions.

"I came to the Navalny's office and asked about the fate of the people whom I didn't know, but who are such newsmakers in the media; they told me the details and showed documents, I treat the judgements against these people as a blatant injustice," Ekaterina Voloshina said.

"The activists were arrested for 8 and 12 days... for riding a bicycle and a photo with a balloon," she said, describing the court judgements as "absurd."

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.