ST. PETERSBURG, November 10 (RAPSI) – The Constitutional Court of Russia has ruled that legislators have a right to regulate the procedure of hosting a meeting between MPs and voters, RAPSI correspondent reports from the courtroom on Friday.

Earlier, 104 members of the State Duma have asked the Court to analyze amendments to the law on public events introducing additional legal regulation of the meetings with voters on all legislative levels. The amendments dividing public gatherings into two distinct categories came into force on June 18. According to the law, meetings held indoors in specially assigned territories and closed-off areas were classified as one group while gatherings made in public space were classified as another.

In the latter case gatherings must be authorized under same procedure as rallies, demonstrations and other forms of public gatherings. MPs argue that the law forces them to authorize meetings with local authorities, preventing them from serving their mandates.

The Court noted that Russian Constitution does not provide an institution on meetings between MPs and voters, allowing legislators to find various ways of regulating said gatherings, although they have to acknowledge Constitutional requirements concerning legislative authority. Since these meetings are usually held in public and involve masses of people they may be regulated as other public events.

According to the Court, meetings held indoors and special places don’t require notification because said areas are restricted, adding that such places should be provided in each settlement. If these meetings mutate into rallies they are to be held in accordance with specialized legislation, the Court held.

At the same time the Constitutional Court believes that authorities must provide sufficient arguments for banning these meetings. Also, unplanned meetings held in public areas are allowed, although they must be immediately cancelled if these events present danger to citizens or functionality of infrastructure.