A group of supporters of Ekaterina Dontsova gathered yesterday in Moscow to show their support for her application to run in the Russian presidential elections next March, the Moscow Times reported, citing the pro-peace politician and journalist in Ukraine. In fact, Russian law requires as a first step to nomination that a group of at least 500 people gather in one place to support the aspiring candidate.


According to the Dontsova Electoral Committee – the Moscow Times reported – the location of the rally was kept secret until the last minute to avoid police interference, and during the event the lights were unexpectedly turned off. “These petty shenanigans are likely to continue, but we will get through them together,” the committee said.


But to be able to run, Dontsova, according to Russian law, will also have to collect 300,000 signatures in at least 40 regions of the country and submit them for oversight by the Central Election Commission.


Radio Liberty wrote that human rights activist Olga Suvorova was arrested today in Krasnoyarsk as soon as she arrived in the Siberian city from Moscow, where she participated in the march in support of Dontsova’s candidacy. The arrest will be linked to a complaint from the activist, who in October accused the police of assaulting her. Now the Russian police will accuse her of filing a “false” report.

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