The Kyiv Court of Appeals banned the Democratic Alliance party from holding a rally near President Viktor Yanukovych's residence Mezhyhirya, according to the party's official website. The rally was supposed to help deliver petitions to Yanukovych concerning the poor state of Ukrainian roads.
This is the second time organizers apply for a rally permission and are rejected. In April of 2013 the court banned a similar peaceful rally, citing an alleged flood hazard. This time the reason for rejection was a protest of representatives of the local community, who believe that protests are dangerous for the security of local residents.
“The court has suspended Ukrainians’ right to hold a rally by presidential residence in Mezhyhirya. Thanking to this, Yanukovych creates a friendly regime for himself, which is people-free. I’m convinced that court decisions won’t protect him from protests,” said chairman of Kyiv’s office of Democratic Alliance Maksym Panov.
In April of 2013, Panov spent seven days under arrest after he arrived to Mezhyhirya to inquire about the flood hazard. Later, the chairman of Democratic Alliance Vasyl Gatsko was detained and kept in prison for five days due to protesting by Mezhyhirya.
Democratic Alliance said a number of Ukrainian human rights activists are helping the party to prepare an appeal to the European Court for Human Rights.
