MOSCOW -- A court in Moscow has sentenced another activist accused of assaulting police during an unsanctioned rally on July 27.

The Tver district court sentenced Eduard Malyshevsky late on December 9 to three years in prison after finding him guilty of causing "sharp pain" to a police officer.

Malyshevsky, who had been forced into a police car during the protest, apparently pushed the glass out of the side window of the vehicle, and the falling glass sheet hit a riot-police officer.

The 50-year-old activist pleaded not guilty, saying that he had not targeted anyone when he pushed the glass out of the police car's window.

Several sanctioned and unsanctioned rallies were held in Moscow over the summer in protest of a decision by the authorities to ban independent and opposition candidates from running in September municipal elections.

Dozens of protesters have been fined or given jail sentences for organizing and participating in the unsanctioned rallies.

The Moscow-based Memorial Human Rights Center has declared Malyshevsky and several other activists arrested in the case political prisoners.

Russian security forces have been criticized for their heavy-handed tactics during the rallies.

Several activists were charged with assaulting police and were given prison sentences or suspended sentences.