Sochi authorities reject five applications for rallies with Navalny

On September 29, Alexei Navalny’s supporters held a campaign picket in the Hyde Park of the Khosta District of Sochi. The action passed without incidents.

The picket, sanctioned by the authorities, was conducted by three activists. Under the Hyde Park bridge, they set up a propaganda cube with the image of Alexei Navalny, and for four hours were giving out information materials about the oppositionist’s activities to passers-by, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

Three police officers, one Cossack and one official from Sochi Mayoralty were supervising the picket. In total, the activists spread 150 propaganda materials among citizens, said Konstantin Zykov, the organizer of the picket, the coordinator of the Navalny’s office in Sochi.

He added that today he has received the fifth refusal to his application for a rally with the participation of Alexei Navalny. Activists asked the Mayoralty to permit a rally in one of the proposed city locations on one of three dates – on October 6, 7 or 8.

"The Sochi Mayoralty has stated that on all these dates, in all these place other mass events had been scheduled right at that time," Konstantin Zykov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.