Interfax: Prosecutor’s office cannot suspend proceedings of civil cases regarding several NGOs

MOSCOW. Nov 7 (Interfax) – The Prosecutor General’s Office cannot satisfy the request of the presidential Human Rights Council to suspend probes of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

A letter from Deputy Prosecutor General Vladimir Malinovsky to head of the council Mikhail Fedotov says Russian law does not give prosecutors such rights.

“Proceedings in a concrete case can be suspended pursuant to the Civil Proceedings Code in case the court handling the case sends a motion to the Constitutional Court to check the law applicable in the said case for compliance with the Constitution of Russia,” the letter says.

“The law does not contain provisions permitting the suspension of proceedings before a decision on a motion submitted to the Constitutional Court in relation to another civil case is made,” the letter says.

“The law does not stipulate for the suspension of proceedings in relation to a motion from other persons, including the prosecutor, to the Constitutional Court, either,” it says.

The letter says that the prosecutor’s office is ready to study and express its opinion of relevant proposals submitted by the council and concerning amendments to the law on NGOs.

Earlier Fedotov addressed the Prosecutor General’s Office requesting it to initiate the suspension of proceedings in civil cases concerning several NGOs before the Constitutional Court states its opinion.