Press Release, 31.03.2017

Lev Shlosberg, MP of the Pskov Region Legislative Assembly (the Yabloko faction) sent a request to the Public Prosecutor of the Pskov Region Sergei Belov demanding to take measures of the prosecutor’s response against the officials of the Administration of the Pskov Region who refused to give a permission for an anti-corruption rally in Pskov on 26 March.

On 16 March public activists sent a notice to the Department of Internal Policy of the Administration of the Pskov Region for a permission to conduct a rally that had to demand investigation of corruption of senior Russian officials.

On 17 March, the Administration refused to give a permission, stating that another public event had to be held in the indicated place without offering a different place and time as provided by law.

Lev Shlosberg points out that the Administration of the Pskov Region did not offer the organizer of the public event another place or other time for holding a public event, thereby violating the requirements of the federal legislation of the Russian Federation and creating obstacles to the exercise by citizens of the Russian Federation of their constitutional rights and creating grounds for offences in “the organisation and conducting of a meeting, rally, demonstration or picketing” (Articles 20.2.1 and 20.2.5 of the Administrative Offences Code).

Thus, Lev Shlosberg asks the Public Prosecutor of the Pskov Region to check the actions (inaction) of officials of the Administration of the Pskov Region as regards the organizers of the public event and undertake measures of prosecutorial response in accordance with the law.