Prosecutors should take tough action against the participants and organizers of unauthorized rallies in the run-up to the single voting day in September, First Deputy Russian Prosecutor-General Alexander Buksman told a board meeting on Tuesday.
“The latest event in Moscow indicates the need to change oversight procedures in the agencies during the preparations for holding the single voting day,” Buksman said. “Prosecutors should take tough action against the organizers and participants of illegal and unauthorized public events, timely respond to the facts of violating citizens’ legal rights and use a whole array of response measures here, including anti-terrorist protection of polling stations.”
On July 27, police jointly with the National Guard detained more than 1,000 people for taking part in an unauthorized event in downtown Moscow. According to police, the event had drawn over 3,500 people. The authorities had warned the rally’s participants about their responsibility for violating the law. Moscow’s prosecutors have launched an investigation against 15 unregistered candidates to the Moscow City Duma, who organized illegal rallies on July 14 and July 27.
