Moscow City Court on Tuesday upheld a Justice Ministry decision from last year to deny registration to opposition party Parnas, Interfax reported.
The court cited violations by the party in its registration materials, including the presence of minors, convicted criminals and deceased people on its member list. The Justice Ministry based its original refusal on similar arguments.
The party's lawyer Vladimir Prokhorov said the next step would be to appeal to the presidium of Moscow City Court, then to the European Court of Human Rights, Interfax reported.
Parnas, a coalition party led by veteran opposition leaders Boris Nemtsov, Vladimir Ryzhkov and Mikhail Kasyanov, may submit a new application to the Justice Ministry to be registered in April, after changes to the law on political parties are expected to come into force, party secretary Konstantin Merzlikin told Interfax.
President Dmitry Medvedev initiated reforms that include easing the registration requirements for political parties. The new legislation has been fast-tracked in parliament and could be passed before Medvedev's term ends in May.
Ryzhkov's Republican Party, which enters into the Parnas coalition, is expected to be registered after having won appeals at the European Court of Human Rights and the Supreme Court.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.