"The court ruled that the coronavirus is ongoing. The judge was not wearing a mask." St. Petersburg communists failed to challenge the ban on rallies imposed due to COVID-19.
St. Petersburg City Court refused to consider the claim Alexandra Rogozhkina и Vladislava Karlova. They required Repeal the regional government's decree, which was adopted in March 2020 and is still being used by officials to ban public opposition events.
As Alexander Rogozhkin told NeMoskva, the court hearing lasted 15 minutes.
It felt like the judge had already made a decision, but she needed to go over some formalities., he clarified. As a plaintiff, I was not even given the opportunity to speak, with the explanation being that I do not have a legal education.
According to Rogozhkin, the court refused to consider the claim to overturn the COVID-19 decree because similar claims had previously been rejected.
We don't agree with this logic, Alexander Rogozhkin emphasized. The last decision was made last November. Since then, the epidemiological situation has changed, and even the chief sanitary doctor for St. Petersburg has acknowledged that there is no epidemic.
He also noted that gubernatorial elections, municipal council elections, and by-elections to the legislative assembly will be held in September. Against this backdrop, COVID-19 restrictions violate voters' rights to hold public campaign events.
Rogozhkin noted that Judge Vitushkina, who saw no reason to lift COVID-19 restrictions, attended the hearing without a medical mask and gloves. Bailiffs and other court staff also lacked personal protective equipment.