Google – AFP, 4 January 2014
Moscow — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday reversed a blanket ban on protests at the Sochi Winter Olympics, bowing to pressure from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Russia's
President Vladimir Putin visits the "RusSki Gorki" Jumping Center at
the Krasnaya Polyana resort near the Black Sea city of Sochi, on January 3,
2014
(RIA-NOVOSTI/AFP/File, Alexei Nikolsky)
|
Moscow — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday reversed a blanket ban on protests at the Sochi Winter Olympics, bowing to pressure from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Russia had
initially banned any political protests in Sochi during the February Games as
part of a tough security crackdown ostensibly aimed at preventing attacks by
Islamist militants.
Putin
signed a presidential decree saying that demonstrations, pickets and marches
"can be held" but that their locations and routes must be agreed with
officials in the Black Sea resort city along with regional police and security
forces.
The amended
decree, published on the Kremlin's website, also allows officials to set limits
on how many people can take part in protests during the Games, which run from
February 7 to 23.
Russia's
President Vladimir Putin visits the
mountain Laura Cross Country and Biathlon
Centre near the Black Sea resort of Sochi,
on January 3, 2014 (Ria-Novosti/AFP,
Alexei Nikolsky)
|
"The
president charged the Olympic Games' organisers along with the leadership of
the Krasnodar region and Sochi city hall with picking out a spot in the city
where it would be possible to freely hold actions, rallies and other events --
including if necessary protests," Peskov said.
Putin is
currently in Sochi where he is inspecting the Olympic sites.
Putin had
issued a decree in August that forbade any rallies or marches over issues
unrelated to the Games from being held inside the tightly controlled security
zone.
The
draconian measure was to take effect on January 7 and last until March 21 after
the city hosts the Paralympic Games from March 7 to 16.
IOC
President Thomas Bach said in December that the Russian organisers had agreed
to allow a "protest zone" at the games after discussions with the
committee, saying he welcomed the move.
Russia's
powerful security force, the FSB, drafted the amendment, which it said would
comply with the Olympic Charter while allowing the authorities to
"effectively manage potential protest actions".
US
President Barack Obama and European leaders including British Prime Minister
David Cameron have announced they will not attend the opening ceremony amid
concerns over Russia's rights record and particularly a recent law banning
"homosexual propaganda".
The
authorities in other Russian cities including Moscow regularly instruct
organisers of political protests to move events away from central areas and
limit the numbers of participants. Limiting protests to a single location would
go beyond the usual restrictions, however.
Russia is
introducing extremely strict security measures during the games, including
drone surveillance, limited transport access to the city and monitoring of the
phone records of athletes and journalists accredited to the event.
Fears that
Islamist militants could stage attacks during the Games were heightened by two
suicide bombings last month in the southern city of Volgograd, a transport hub
700 kilometres (400 miles) from Sochi.
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