09 June 2004 19:58
New Russian law on demos leaves too much to officials` discretion - paper
As Kommersant has already reported, on Friday [4 June] the State Duma gave the third and final reading to the law
"On meetings, rallies, demonstrations, marches and pickets." It differs substantially from the original
version submitted by the government, but not to the extent that the holding of mass events has become a generally
accessible method for citizens to influence the authorities.
[Passage omitted: history of the bill.]
Despite the amendments, the law may still make it substantially more difficult to organize mass actions. For
instance, the article dealing with reasons for stopping a public event still contains the provision that it can be
stopped if "a real threat to citizens' life and health is created, and also if participants in the event
commit unlawful actions". Furthermore, the law does not go into specifics regarding the phrase "unlawful
actions".
Nor is the provision banning the holding of public events in places creating "a threat to the safety of
participants in the public event" clarified, but it says that the "terms of the ban or restriction on the
holding of a public event can be spelt out by federal laws". And finally, at the request of an executive body, the
head of an internal affairs body, if it is planned to hold an event on the territory under his control, must appoint a
representative to observe the course of the action. And since the law does not specify the powers of this
representative, police will decide at their own discretion whether "unlawful actions" are taking place during
a mass action.
[Kommersant] |
RUSSIA IN FACTS
