MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th September, 2019) Looking into specific criminal cases does not belong to presidential prerogatives, while those disagreeing with a court verdict have the legal right to appeal it, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday, when asked to comment on the case of unauthorized rally participant Pavel Ustinov sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for violence against riot police.
On Monday, a Moscow court sentenced Ustinov to 3.5 years in prison for violence against riot police during the August 3 rally held in the run-up to the elections to the city legislature. According to the case materials, on Pushkin Square, a police sergeant major detained Ustinov for "violating public order and being an active participant in riots." Ustinov resisted, and the police officer had his shoulder dislocated as a result. The defendant pleaded not guilty.
"I don't think that the president has watched the video. You see, it is not a prerogative of the president to look into specific criminal cases and learn their circumstances. I reiterate: there is a court verdict, and there is a legal right to challenge this verdict," Peskov told reporters, when asked whether Vladimir Putin had watched a video of Ustinov's detention.
Peskov noted that the Kremlin in general was in no position to comment on decisions of judges and courts.
