Presidential council deplores prohibition of opposition rally in Moscow

The Presidential Council for Human Rights deplores the decision made by Moscow City Hall to prohibit an opposition rally scheduled for tomorrow, the council says in a statement published by Ekho Moskvy.

The Council also informs that its envoy was not allowed to take part in negotiations between the opposition and city officials. The Council condemns City Hall for lack of transparency and disrespect to the body.

The Council underlines that according to the Constitution Russian citizens are granted the right to gather peacefully without weapons in order to show their political position or protest.

As members of the Council expect opposition activists to gather anyway, they call upon both the opposition and the riot police to respect human rights and abstain from violence, the statement reads.