| President Vladimir Putin has criticized amendments to
the draft law on meetings and rallies, RIA Novosti reported Monday.
Putin called the restrictions on the freedom of assembly "unwholesome".
He said that "in terms of our reality", the right to hold demonstrations
and processions should not be limited, the agency reported.
The draft forbids the holding of meetings and rallies on major transport
arteries, in the vicinity of presidential residences, embassies, international
organizations, hospitals, schools (during school hours), buildings of
medical and educational institutions, sporting arenas where competitions
are taking place, temples (except for religious meetings) and cemeteries.
It also stipulates that the organizers of meetings and rallies will
have to notify the authorities no later than 10 days in advance of a meeting.
The authorities can refuse to give permission for a meeting if its aims
and methods are considered to violate the Constitution and moral norms.
The lower house of parliament, the State Duma approved the law in its
first reading. At that time it also included a ban on meetings and rallies
near buildings of federal and regional bodies. But later Duma speaker
Boris Gryzlov promised to withdraw this most controversial item from the
draft, as it provoked grave controversy in society.
See also:
Freedom
of Assembly
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