Activists from the Komi Republic appealed on regional bans of public events in the constitutional court
Vera Tereshonkova and Marina Sedova complained about the unconstitutionality of the prohibitions. Tereshonkova appeals against the ban to hold pickets on Stefanovskaya square, and Sedova — the ban to hold public events closer than 50 meters from the buildings of the authorities. Lawyer of the "Public Verdict" Ernest Mezak deals with the case of the activists.
Tereshonkova wanted to go to Stefanovskaya square with a public service in memory of the repressed. Until 1932, the main church of the region was located on this square. The activist filed complaints to the Republican and Supreme Court, but these instances found no violations. Sedova was unable to hold a rally about the poor performance of public transport — the government had not agreed on it. The Republican and Supreme Сourt also found no violations.
Representatives of "Public Verdict" believe that the authorities of the Komi Republic exceeded the norm of the federal law concerning assemblies, rallies, marches and picketing. We are talking about the regional law, which, by its limitations, actually prohibits any actions on the main square of Syktyvkar.
In April 2019, human rights center «Memorial» and project «OVD-info» appealed to the General Prosecutor's office with a complaint about regional laws restricting pickets.
In the same month, the European court of human rights in the case "Kablis v. Russia" admitted that limitations of peaceful assemblies on Stefanovskaya square contradict the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.