Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, has adopted changes to the law on protests and rallies, in a move that many activists say is another step towards restricting freedom of assembly, Ekho Moskvy radio station said on Saturday.
The changes prohibit those already undergoing proceedings for disorderly behavior from organizing protest rallies.
Leader of the opposition movement For Human Rights, Lev Ponomarev, said the law would have little effect since other people can easily be found to organize protests. However, he noted that this is just one in a number of small changes to the law, that together significantly restrict the right to freedom of assembly.
The Russian opposition was granted permission earlier this week for the first time in years to hold a rally on Trimfalnaya Square in downtown Moscow, a step that many observers say was the result of the sacking of long-standing Moscow mayor Yury Luzhkov, a staunch opponent of the regular protests held there.
However, the Moscow government received a letter from the organizers of the rally on Friday demanding that up to 1,500 people be allowed to assemble for the protest, instead of the permitted 200. The authorities described the letter as a "provocation."
Members of the opposition movement Five Demands will gather for a sanctioned rally on central Moscow's Pushkin Square on Saturday to demand, among other things, free elections, the resignation of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and the dissolution of government, Ekho Moskvy said.
Chess legend and activist Garry Kasparov is expected to speak at the protest.
MOSCOW, October 23 (RIA Novosti)
