MOSCOW, October 9 - RAPSI. The European Court of Human Rights has held in favor of National-Bolshevik Party member Alexei Koltunov, who sought damages from the Russian authorities for his unlawful detention while a criminal case against him was being reviewed, the court reported on its website Tuesday.

On December 14, 2004, 40 activists of the banned National-Bolshevik Party broke into the presidential administration's community liaison office and interfered in its operations. A year later, 31 defendants, including Koltunov, received conditional sentences, and eight of them received prison sentences on charges of mass riots.

In his application to the Strasbourg court, he said that his detention throughout the course of hearings was unlawful and unreasonably lengthy. He also complained about prison conditions. He sought one million Euros in damages for inhumane and degrading treatment and the violation of his right to freedom.

The court has sided with Koltunov and declared Russian in breach of Article 3 on prohibiting torture and Article 5 on the right to liberty and personal security of the European Convention on Human Rights. The court held that the claim amount was too large, and ordered Russia to pay the applicant 6,000 Euros.

In January, the court accepted an application from all 39 convicts to have in their sentence quashed. The court has yet to pass a judgment on the matter.