[home page][map of the server][news of the server][forums][publications][Yabloko's Views]

MosNews, March 31, 2004

Yabloko Demonstrates Against Restrictions to Freedom of Assembly

Activists of the Russian liberal party Yabloko held a protest rally near the building of the State Duma on Wednesday morning. Yabloko and the environmental group Ekozashchita picketed the Duma building to protest a draft law that bans rallies in front of government buildings, which the parliament considered later in the day. About a dozen demonstrators held placards reading "Duma, come to your senses", "We want freedom of assembly," and "The ban on pickets will not pass." At first, the participants stood right in front of the entrance to the Duma, but police officers asked them to step aside. The rally had not been sanctioned by the authorities and the police detained several of its participants. Yabloko's deputy head Sergei Mitrokhin and several other party members were detained and put into a police vehicle. The picket ended shortly after 10-00. Yabloko members were freed later and will be summoned soon, Echo of Moscow radio reported. The party leader, Grigory Yavlinsky declared that he would appeal against the law in the Constitutional Court. He called this law an "attack against our citizens’ political rights ".

 

See also:

Human Rights

Freedom of Speech

MosNews, March 31, 2004

[home page][map of the server][news of the server][forums][publications][Yabloko's Views]

english@yabloko.ru
Project Director: Vyacheslav Erohin e-mail: admin@yabloko.ru Director: Olga Radayeva, e-mail: english@yabloko.ru
Administrator: Vlad Smirnov, e-mail: vladislav.smirnov@yabloko.ru