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#9 - JRL 7216
Lawyer requests early conditional release for Limonov

MOSCOW. June 9 (Interfax) - Sergei Belyak, a lawyer representing Eduard Limonov, on Monday requested his defendant's early conditional release.

"The request was lodged with the administration of the general security colony N13 in the town of Engels (Saratov region), where Limonov is serving his prison terms, and is to be transferred to court. Alongside the solicitation, the lawyer submitted reference papers from a member of the Writers' Union, from Russia's Union of Journalists and from the publishers of Limonov's recent books," Alexander Averin, a spokesman for the National Bolshevik Party, has told Interfax.

He also reported that the issue of Limonov's Moscow registration had been solved. "The problem is that since his return to Russia [in the early 90s], he [Limonov] has never acquired a residence permit in Moscow and one of the party members has had to have him registered at his Moscow apartment," said Averin.

According to Belyak, Limonov has served more than half of the term declared by the court and is entitled to conditional release ahead of term in keeping with Russia's Criminal Investigation Code.

Limonov, leader of the National Bolshevik Party, was arrested for buying a gun in the Republic of Altai on April 7, 2001. Limonov and five of his associates were charged with planning an act of terror, trying to form illegal armed units and unlawfully acquiring, storing, and transporting firearms and ammunition. Limonov and Aksyonov were also accused of attempting a coup.

Court hearings on the case started on July 8, 2002. On April 15, 2003, the Saratov court found Limonov and five of his party colleagues guilty of illegal acquisition, possession and transportation of firearms (article 222 of Russia's Criminal Code). Limonov was sentenced to four years in prison and his associates were given terms from two years and three months to three and a half years. The judge dropped the charges against Limonov and Aksyonov for planning an act of terror, trying to form an illegal armed unit and attempting a coup.

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