In Rostov-on-Don, court obliges city administration to sanction "Strategy-31" rally

The Pervomaiskiy District Court has ordered the city administration of Rostov-on-Don to sanction the "Strategy-31" action in defence of Article 31 of the Russian Constitution, which stipulates the freedom of assembly, in those months as the applicants will indicate. According to the organizer of this rally Pavel Nagibin, the court has consistently recognized the unlawfulness of the refusal by the city administration to sanction the "Strategy-31" rallies on October 31, 2010, and January 31 this year.

"The main motive was the court's opinion that it is possible to hold several public events in one place. The arguments of the administration that 'the place is occupied' were not found convincing by the judge," Pavel Nagibin told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to his story, the city administration said that the October 31 "Strategy-31" rally in the square in front of the Gorky Park was impossible, as the place was occupied by the movement "Young Guards", which held their own action.

"A similar answer was received from the administration of Rostov-on-Don to the notification about holding a 'Strategy-31' action on January 31 this year. This time the competitive action was held by 'Spravedlivaya Rossiya' in the person of Paslar, S. V., a member of the political council of the regional office, who had managed - by some miracle - to submit his notification a few minutes earlier than the organizers of the 'Strategy'; although he had not been registered at the check point to the city administration," said Pavel Nagibin.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent managed to learn that the above court rulings had not yet entered their legal force and would be appealed against by the administration.

On May 31, from 6 to 7 p.m., a number of political and social organizations of Rostov-on-Don are planning to go out to a rally in central city, at the entrance to the Gorky Park. An application for a rally a hundred persons strong was filed with the legal department of the administration of Rostov-on-Don on May 16.