Moscow authorities deny request by mobilized soldiers' wives to hold protest, citing COVID-19 restrictions

The Moscow authorities have denied a request by a group of mobilized soldiers’ wives to hold a protest demanding their husbands be sent home, according to the Telegram channel Put Domoi (“The Way Home”).

In its official response to the request, the Moscow government cited the “developing epidemiological situation in the city,” noting that the restrictions on large-scale gatherings put in place in 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are still in effect.

The statement notes that anyone who attends the protest in defiance of the government’s ban will be held accountable under the law.

The protest was slated to be held on Moscow's Teatralnaya Square on November 25. Its organizers expected up to 300 people to take part.