ST.-PETERSBURG, July 23 - RAPSI. On Monday, a magistrate's court in St. Petersburg dropped the administrative cases against ITAR-TASS information agency correspondent Ivan Skirtach and RBC Daily correspondent Sergei Kovalchenko, who were detained by the police at the July 8 opposition rally in St. Petersburg for alleged resistance to police officers.

The proceedings were terminated as the court did not deem their conduct an administrative violation.

During the hearing it was disclosed that the police officers who reported the journalists' violations have been disciplined for making groundless reports: the detainees said they went to the rally to report on it on behalf of their agencies.