Russia's Pirate Party denied registration again
MOSCOW. Oct 11 (Interfax) - Russia's Justice Ministry has again refused to register the Pirate Party (PPR).
The party's name appeared on the ministry's website on the list of parties that had been denied registration under the law "On Political Parties." Interfax was unable to obtain comments from the ministry or the PPR organizing committee.
The committee submitted a new registration application to the ministry on September 6 after the ministry had refused to register the group in December 2012, claiming that the reason was the party's name. The ministry said piracy meant sea robbery, which was at variance with the objectives stated in the PPR charter.
The organizing committee responded that it was refusing the change the party's name, arguing that the name did not break any of Russia's laws.
The committee mentioned that the general assembly in Kazan, Russia, in April 2013, of the Pirate Parties International, which brought together representatives of several countries, issued a resolution saying the modern pirate movement represented a global political ideology that had nothing to do with sea robbery.
The committee also said that, along with reapplying for registration to the Justice Ministry, it was disputing the ministry's refusal to register the PPR and was prepared to pursue the matter all the way up to the European Court of Human Rights.
Justice Minister Alexander Konovalov told reporters that the reason for his ministry's refusal to register the PPR were repeated failures by its organizers to comply with registration rules.