Exploring the interplay between freedom of assembly and freedom of expression: The case of Russian solo pickets
| Date | 01 September 2020 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0924051920944747 |
| Author | Polina Malkova,Olga Kudinova |
| Published date | 01 September 2020 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
Exploring the interplay
between freedom of
assembly and freedom
of expression: The case
of Russian solo pickets
Polina Malkova
National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia
Olga Kudinova
National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia
Abstract
Given the increasing restrictions and rigorous approval procedures for the exercise of freedom of
assembly in various parts of the globe, one-person pickets often remain the only available form of
voicing one’s opinion. This is the case of Russia, where citizens use solo protests as an opportunity
to join together: they can take turns or stand at a distance from one another, forming a ‘group
one-person picket’. These realities pose an interesting question: are such group solo protests
characterised as freedom of expression or assembly? Through examining the legal nature of solo
protests in the practice of international human rights bodies, this article aims to reveal a deeper
understanding of the two freedoms involved and the interplay between them.
Keywords
Human rights, freedom of speech, freedomof assembly, Russia, ECtHR, civil society, right to protest
1. INTRODUCTION
Throughout the summer of 2019, in Moscow and other Russian cities, one could often spot a lone
figure silently holding a poster outside State executive offices and key public places. That figure
would often not stand unsupported. Indeed, sometimes, there would be another prot estor at a
Corresponding author:
Polina Malkova, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Myasnitskaya Ulitsa, 20, Moscow, 101000,
Russia.
E-mail: poli.malkova@gmail.com
Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights
2020, Vol. 38(3) 191–205
ªThe Author(s) 2020
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DOI: 10.1177/0924051920944747
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