Support The Moscow Times!

Ryzhkov's Republican Party to Regain Official Status

The Republican Party of Russia, formerly led by opposition politician Vladimir Ryzhkov, will again be registered by the Justice Ministry after being stripped of its official status in 2007, party co-chair Valentina Melnikova said Friday.

In April, the party won a lawsuit at the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled that the Supreme Court's order to strip the party of its registration in May 2007 had been unlawful. In January, the Supreme Court reversed its decision, though the Justice Ministry appealed.

On Friday, Melnikova said the party had come to an agreement with the Justice Ministry, which Melnikova said has dropped its objections to registering the party.

"Since the Justice Ministry has withdrawn its complaint and followed the decision of the European court, we have concluded an agreement, and the Republican Party will return to the state that existed before this conflict," Melnikova said, RIA-Novosti reported.

Ryzhkov complained to President Dmitry Medvedev at a recent meeting between the head of state and opposition leaders that the Justice Ministry was not abiding by the decisions of the human rights court and the Supreme Court. Medvedev allegedly promised to order the Justice Ministry to resolve the conflict, Ryzhkov said, RIA-Novosti reported.

After December's controversial State Duma elections, which were followed by a series of mass opposition protests, Medvedev proposed a package of political reforms that included easing the registration rules for political parties, a long-time opposition demand.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

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.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more