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Russian rights chief urges Putin to veto protest law Posted 2012/05/23 at 4:43 pm EDT MOSCOW, May 23, 2012 (Reuters) — The Kremlin's human rights adviser said on Wednesday he will urgeRussian President Vladimir Putin to veto a bill to increase finesfor protesters deemed to have broken the law, unless it isrewritten. The bill has been proposed by the dominant United Russia party totry to suppress protests against Putin's rule. It proposes raising fines to 1.5 million roubles ($48,000) forprotest organizers and 1 million roubles ($32,000) fordemonstrators for violating public order duringgovernment-sanctioned rallies. It passed its first of three readings by ten votes on Tuesday,despite being opposed by all other parties in the 450-seat lowerhouse of parliament. In a rare show of defiance against the ruling party, 207 deputies,some wearing the white-ribbon symbol of the protest movement, votedagainst the tougher sanctions. Putin returned to the presidency for a third term this monthweakened after tens of thousands came out against his rule in awave of winter protests in Moscow and other cities. The number of demonstrators has shrunk since the first protestsfollowing suspicions of fraud in favor of United Russia inDecember's parliamentary election. But growing disenchantment with the party has emboldened oppositionparties and stripped Putin of his aura of invincibility. "If this law is approved as it now stands by both houses ofparliament then the council will ask the president to veto thebill," Mikhail Fedotov, chairman of the presidential Civil Societyand Human Rights Council, told Reuters after voicing concerns toPutin in a televised meeting. Putin backed the bill but struck a conciliatory tone, calling fordialogue with opponents of the law in response to Fedotov's requestfor a revision of what he said was vague wording that may lead toabuses. "We must guard people against some kinds of extreme, radicaldisplays. Society, the state has a right to defend itself," Putinsaid at a meeting that included United Russia deputies. Existing fines of 1,000-300,000 roubles ($30-$1,000) for violationsduring government-sanctioned rallies are largely symbolic. Fedotov said the draft law must be fleshed out to detail whatcrimes are punishable by fines. "This law is far from being adopted yet by both houses ofparliament ... It must be rewritten almost fully, by almost 90percent," Fedotov told Reuters. "We need to specify when it can be applied, for example because aperson used arms, started a fight, threw rocks at the police,smashed or overturned a car or broke shop windows." Opposition leaders, who denounced the bill as a crackdown onfreedoms on Wednesday, accuse police of detaining activists withoutjust cause following clashes with demonstrators on the eve ofPutin's inauguration in which batons were used in the worstviolence since the wave of protests began. "This law is part of an effort to tighten the screws, it is verydangerous," environmental activist-turned-protest leader YevgeniyaChirikova told Ekho Moskvy radio. "It violates citizens'constitutional right to freedom of assembly." Riot police detained more than 400 people at the May 6 protest andhundreds more on inauguration day, when they cleared streets nearthe path of Putin's convoy of peaceful protesters and bystanders. President from 2000-2008 and prime minister until his inauguration,Putin has angered Russians who want change and fear thecontinuation of his rule will bring political and economicstagnation. (Reporting By Alissa de Carbonnel; Editing by Janet Lawrence). We are high quality suppliers, our products such as Sound Effects Keychain , China Wine Bag Cooler for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Solar Power Keychain.
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