To organisers and participants of street protests
at Bolotnaya, Sakharov and Pushkin Squares, Chistiye Prudi,
Novy Arbat, the participants of the movements Strategy 31,
The White Ribbon, March of the Millions and other protest
actions: Boris Akunin, Dmitry Bykov, Genadi Gudkov, Dmitry
Gudkov,
Eduard Limonov, Alexei Navalny, Sergei Parkhomenko, Vladimir
Ryzhkov,
Lev Ponomarev, Sergei Udaltsov, Yugenia Chirikova and others
Today, on May 31, the day when actions in protection of Article
31 of the Constitution guaranteeing RF citizens the right
to assemble peacefully, without weapons, hold rallies, demonstrations,
marches and pickets are normally held [in Russia].
On this day, I am turning to you calling you to pay very
close attention to the amendments prepared by the State Duma
to the Administrative Offences Code and Federal Law No 54
"On Assemblies, Rallies, Demonstrations, Processions
and Pickets". These amendments are prohibitive and maximally
limit the constitutional right of citizens to protests.
Not only do they set high penalties [for the rallies], but
also make any form of street activity impossible and broaden
the possibilities for abuse by the police providing grounds
for absurd accusations.
The maximum margin for a penalty for a citizen will be 300,000
rubles. Parties and public organisations will have pay up
to 1 million.
The new law envisages responsibility for the organisation
of "mass simultaneous presence of citizens in public
places", as well as calls to citizens for such presence.
Participation in a walking protest will const 20,000 rubles,
but the calls to join it up to 300,000 roubles. The law maintains
compulsory labour [as punishment], although the Constitution
prohibits compulsory labour. Responsibility for the exceeding
the number of participants of a rally [as of the allowed number
of participants] will be up to 50,000 rubles. The Constitutional
Court banned it two weeks ago, but this is not an order for
the Duma. The law has maintained the norm coming from the
first reading of the draft law that anyone, not only the person
who applied for holding an action, can be punished as an organiser
of this action. Rallies in the places where they interfere
with the movement of pedestrians may be banned forever. It
is obvious that any rally will interfere with the movement
of pedestrians.
The courts stamping their sentences on the basis of fabricated
and false accusations by police will ensure an uninterrupted
flow of convicts discouraging law-abiding citizens from protests,
encouraging aggressive radicals and stimulating the emergence
of underground resistance.
We still have a chance to resist these initiatives on June
5 when the Duma will be adopting the amendments in second
reading.
Later on it will be too late, and pointless to go to Triumfalnaya
square to protest.
It is important and timely to come to the State Duma on June
5.
If we all together fail to revoke the amendments on June
5, then we all will be facing 100,000 rubles penalties already
on June 12.
I am urging all of you to come to the State Duma and express
a civil protest against the fascist amendments on June 5 at
9 a.m.
Sergei Mitrokhin.
Chairman of the Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO
See also:
YABLOKOs
action: toughening of penalties for rallies is a straight
way towards a totalitarian state. Press Release, May 27,
2012
Rally
against raising of penalties for rallies. Press Release,
May 22, 2012
Mitrokhin
released without charges, other activists will stand before
court. Press Release, May 22, 2012.
Sergei
Mitrokhin and activists detained at the "walking protests"
by the State Duma
Press Release, May 22, 2012.
Youth
YABLOKO to picket the State Duma protesting against raising
of fines for rallies
Press Release, May 17, 2012.
Yavlinsky
called on the "walking protestors" in St. Petersburg
to set political goals. Interfax. May 15, 2012
Human
Rights
Freedom
of Assembly
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