PUTIN’S POLICE STATE - COMMUNISM IS BACK IN

HR body to seek Putin's veto as Upper House approves anti-rally bill

Despite protests from the Presidential Human Rights council, the Upper House approved a bill that would dramatically increase fines for those accused of participating in illegal rallies.

The Federation Council approved the bill with 132 votes for and just one against with one abstention.

The discussion on the bill in the Upper House was relatively short compared to the tense standoff that occurred in the Duma the previous day. Then, the parliamentary opposition, composed of Fair Russia and the Communists, attempted to prevent majority party United Russia from moving forward on the bill by submitting excessive amount of additional amendments, each of which had to be read aloud and voted for.

The opposition hoped this filibustering tactic would buy them some time for those who plan protest action on June 12, which is the ‘Day of Russia’ holiday.

United Russia, however, replied by rejecting the amendments categorically. Nevertheless, the session continued until almost midnight, with the bill eventually passing the Lower House.

Russia’s political opposition launched a protest near the Upper House as the bill was being considered, claiming that the new regulations opened way to “a fascist society.” The demonstration ended calmly, unlike the previous day when the protests resulted in brief detentions.

Meanwhile, the Presidential Council for Human Rights has come out against increasing fines for illegal protests. Mikhail Fedotov, the council head, sent a written request to the speaker of the Upper House, Valentina Matvienko, to reject the bill (the press service of the Upper House has said it has not received any such letter). Fedotov said that the council would study the draft law as it made its way through parliament, promising to ask President Putin to veto the document if the HR activists disapproved of it.

The head of the Moscow Helsinki Group, veteran Human Rights activist Lyudmila Alekseyeva, also told reporters that she would ask Putin to veto the bill.

Meanwhile, Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin’s press secretary, has said that the president can veto the bill, but only if it differs from similar laws in various foreign countries.

“Putin will object to the bill only in one case – if this bill is in contradiction to the generally accepted practices that are being performed in other countries in order to ensure the rights of the citizens,” he said.

However, the press secretary added that the president would study the bill only after he receives it for signing.

“He will study the bill because many amendments were included during the hearings and they must be thoroughly evaluated,” Peskov noted. “The bill must be studied in its final version, the way it was approved.”