Moscow mayor’s office refused the trade union of journalists to hold a rally in defense of freedom of the media and against the law on “foreign agents”

The Regional Security Department of the Moscow Mayor’s Office refused the Journalists’ Trade Union to hold a rally in defense of freedom of the media and against the law on “foreign agents” About this it says in the Telegram channel of the Trade Union.

In response to an application received from the Trade Union, the department noted that in the capital, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a ban on holding public events.

“We will appeal this refusal and will hold a number of events in a different format,” the union said in a statement. The organization proposes to hold a meeting of colleagues – journalists, media workers and their leaders, as well as lawyers – on September 2 in order to “discuss ways of protection together and agree on joint actions.”

The union planned to hold a rally on September 4 at Pushkin Square. In addition, some candidates for State Duma deputies suggested holding meetings with voters on the same day to discuss issues of freedom of the media.

Policemen in Moscow last Saturday detained journalists who went to single pickets for press freedom outside the FSB building on Lubyanka. Almost all the detainees were released with protocols on violation of the rules of the meeting.

The day before, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation turned on the Dozhd TV channel and the legal entity of the Internet publication Istories fonds, registered in Latvia, into registry Media-foreign agents.

The list also includes the editor-in-chief of “Important stories” Roman Anin and other journalists of the publication: Alesya Marakhovskaya, Irina Dolinina, Roman Shleinov, Dmitry Velikovsky and Olesya Shmagun. Also, the former head of the organization “Yakutia – Our Opinion” Stepan Petrov was added to the register. He also headed the regional branch of the national public organization For Human Rights. Both organizations were disbanded back in March.