The Krasnodar Regional Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld the four-year prison sentence imposed against the former head of the NGO Open Russia Andrei Pivovarov for organizing the activities of an organization registered as «undesirable» by the Russian authorities.
«The court’s verdict dates back to the July 15 sentence against Pivovarov and has not changed. The appeal filed by the defense has not been admitted,» judicial sources have indicated in statements to the Interfax news agency.
Pivovarov’s defense had asked the court to withdraw the conviction imposed against him after he was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment in a penal colony and an eight-year disqualification period.
Pivovarov was arrested in early June 2021 when several police officers took him off a plane in the city of St. Petersburg. According to the investigation, in August 2020 Pivovarov urged through social networks to support independent candidates during local elections.
The inquiry concludes that by doing so, the dissident was involved in «undesirable» activities. In mid-2021, Open Russia announced that it was closing its offices, including those of its regional headquarters.
