Moscow city authorities have denied Russian...

Human rights group leaders, including For Human Rights movement leader Lev Ponomaryov and Moscow Helsinki Group head Lyudmila Alekseyeva, had previously applied to the Moscow city government for permission to hold the march on January 19.

However, permission was denied because of procedural errors. The Moscow government said the request had been filed prematurely.

Russian law requires documents for a march or protest be filed no more than 15 days and no less than 10 days before the event is scheduled. The New Year public holidays only ended on January 11, meaning the window fell entirely within the vacation period.

Moscow authorities have denied banning the march.

Stanislav Markelov, 34, who was representing a family whose daughter was murdered by a Russian officer in Chechnya, and Novaya Gazeta journalist Anastasia Baburova, 25, were shot on January 19 in downtown Moscow. Markelov died at the scene and Baburova lost her struggle for life shortly afterwards

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