AMENDING FEDERAL LAW ON ASSEMBLIES, MEETINGS, DEMONSTRATIONS, MARCHES AND PICKETING OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Venice Commission Opinion By Richard Clayton QC

Introduction

By a letter dated 5 July 2012, the Chair of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe asked the Venice Commission to provide an opinion on the
Federal Law of the Russian Federation as amended by law of 8 June 2012.

Mr Richard Clayton, Ms Finola Flanagan and Mr Wolfgang Hoffmann-Riem were appointed
as rapporteurs.

The present opinion is based on an English translation of the amendments of June 2012
provided by PACE (CDL-REF (2012)028 hereinafter “the amendments of June 2012”; see also
CDL-REF(2012)029).

The present opinion was discussed at the Sub-Commission on Fundamental Rights on 11
October 2012 and was subsequently adopted by the Commission at its Plenary Session
(Venice).

A copy of the full opinion is here.  

5 March 2013