• Right of assembly  European Court of Human Rights   Public protests 

The European Court of Human Rights is preparing to issue a pilot judgment on the issue of freedom of assembly in Russia - a pilot judgment allows the Court to rule any infringement of human rights as systemic and to order the government responsible to take measures to rectify the situation. 

The European Court of Human Rights has officially notified the Russian Federation of the fact that it will simultaneously consider 15 applications by Russian citizens concerning infringements of their right to freedom of peaceful assembly. The applications date from the years 2009 to 2012. The website of the RosEvroSud project reports that the official memorandum can be found on the European Court’s website. 

Among those lodging applications are representatives of various Russian cities including Kaliningrad, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow, Samara, St. Petersburg and others. Among the applicants are Sergei Udaltsov and other representatives of Left Front, activists of Strategy 31 and also other participants in demonstrations. 

One of the applications was prepared and sent to the European Court of Human Rights by the lawyer of the RosEvroSud project. 

Those appealing to the court complain of bans on and the forcible breaking up of peaceful demonstrations, and also the subsequent prosecution of the organisers of demonstrations and participants. 

The fact that the European Court is beginning to conduct a joint consideration of a great number of applications on the issue of freedom of assembly indicates that preparations are being made for a special judgment of the European Court of Human Rights that would oblige the Russian government to change legislation and its practical application in this area.