Russian Autocratic Legalism vs. The Right to Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Assembly

This presentation is focused on analyzing the phenomenon of autocratic legalism using the example of Russian legislation and its implementation in the context of the right to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. We will examine specific legalistic practices of Russian lawmakers aimed at exploiting democratic legal principles and reinterpreting them to justify contemporary autocratic narratives. The presentation will also provide specific examples of repressive Russian laws that infringe on the rights to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, and their interpretation by the European Court of Human Rights, the Venice Commission, and the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation.