The Kremlin will not review its assessment of the unsanctioned rallies that took place before the elections in Moscow since these actions were made in violation of existing laws, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2019) The Kremlin will not review its assessment of the unsanctioned rallies that took place before the elections in Moscow since these actions were made in violation of existing laws, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
"These were unauthorized actions in violation of the current law," he said when asked whether these protests were mass riots.
The spokesman then reaffirmed that "no re-assessment can take place here, there is nothing to reassess. This is a fact that can only be ascertained."
In response to a follow-up question on whether the Kremlin distinguished the concepts of riots and unauthorized actions, Peskov reiterated that this particular case involved unauthorized and therefore unlawful actions.
"This is an unambiguous fact, everything else is subject to judicial rulings and proceedings," he added.
Unauthorized rallies began in the Russian capital in mid-July after the election commission barred several opposition candidates from the September race for city parliament. During three unauthorized rallies, around 1,700 people were detained. Some of them were detained under articles of the Criminal Code pertaining to mass riots and the use of violence against law enforcement officials � several have even received prison sentences. Criminal charges against some have since been dropped, with a number of others released under house arrest.
