MOSCOW, September 17 (RAPSI) – The European Court for Human Rights (ECHR) has merged seven applications filed by the defendants in Moscow 2012 May riots case and assigned them top priority, attorney Dmitry Agranovsky told RAPSI on Tuesday.

“In addition, tbe ECHR sent the government of the Russian Federation a 22-page letter which contains 26 questions regarding the investigation and the court’s proceedings into his case,” Agranovsky added.

The mass protests took place at a Moscow protest rally on the eve of Vladimir Putin's inauguration for a third presidential term in May 2012. The rally ended in clashes between protesters and the police.

Over 400 people were arrested and scores were injured when protesters briefly broke through police lines.