A Krasnodar court upheld a denial of a rally against Telegram blocking.

Krasnodar City Council Deputy Alexander Safronov was unable to challenge in court the actions of city administration officials who initially approved a rally against the Telegram blocking and then revoked their permission.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on March 23, Krasnodar City Council Deputy Alexander Safronov stated that he had coordinated with local authorities a protest against the blocking imposed by Roskomnadzor. The site, located on the outskirts of the city and surrounded by fields, was the only one approved by the Krasnodar City Hall. The very next day, March 24, officials revoked their approval for the protest, citing security concerns due to the threat of drone and missile attacks. Safronov called the mayor's office's decision illegal and appealed it in court.

The Pervomaisky District Court of Krasnodar today heard the lawsuit filed by City Duma Deputy Alexander Safronov against the City Hall's Department of Internal Policy, which revoked a previously issued permit for a protest against the blocking of Telegram. Following the hearing, the court sided with the administration.

"Unfortunately, we lost the case. Now the rally is effectively banned by the court," Safronov announced on his Telegram channel.

He warned supporters that attending the rally in Klenovy Square in Krasnodar on March 28 or 29 is "categorically prohibited." "We, as the organizers, are forced to cancel the rally, now by court order," the deputy explained.

According to the court's ruling, a public event can only be held if the safety of its participants is not threatened. The court found the city administration's arguments regarding the threat of missile attacks and drone strikes to be reasonable. Safronov, for his part, stated that the administration's position, given the protest organizers' questions in court, was a "laughingstock."

"Officials couldn't answer the question of why drones pose a threat to protesters, but the match with the Nicaraguan national team, which featured 30,000 people, is not at risk. My question about whether rallies will always be cancelled while the risk of drones exists was simply dismissed by the court. But I would like to receive an answer," he noted.

"Caucasian Knot" wrote that the organizers of the protest in defense of Telegram in Rostov-on-Don, as well as in Volgograd and Volzhsky, were also subjected to pressure. Rostov activist Evgeny Makovoz was arrested for ten days on charges of petty hooliganism, while security forces visited Varvara Luch, an activist from Volzhsky, at her home and work.

Activists in more than 20 Russian cities attempted to secure approval for rallies in defense of Telegram, but authorities banned all such events for various reasons. In a number of cities, as in Krasnodar, officials revoked previously issued permits: in Penza, the pretext for revoking approval was an open roller skating practice; in Khabarovsk, the administration cited repair work; in Irkutsk, the high interest in the protest and the inability to ensure its safety; and in Vladimir, the threat of drones, the publication Yuga.Ru notes today.

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