Russian party to challenge ban at European court

MOSCOW, Aug 7 (Reuters) The anti-Kremlin National Bolshevik Party said it would go to the European Court of Human Rights after the Russian Supreme Court upheld a ban on its activities today.

A lower court in April outlawed the party, which has staged sit-ins at government buildings and has a flag bearing some resemblance to the Nazi swastika, on the grounds that it was ''extremist''.

''We had expected such a decision. It was not a decision of the court, it was decided in the Kremlin,'' said party spokesman Alexander Averin.

''We'll go further, we'll go to Strasbourg,'' he said, insisting that the party would continue to function.

Members of the party, led by Eduard Limonov, have been arrested at demonstrations across Russia and complained of heavy-handed police tactics at protests.

They are prominent supporters of the ''Other Russia'' movement, a disparate coalition of small groups ranging from liberals to communists who say President Vladimir Putin is destroying Russia's fledgling democracy.

The Kremlin says it is worried the opposition may try to destabilise the nation in the run-up to December parliamentary elections and presidential polls due in March.

''Other Russia'' hopes to agree on one or more candidates to stand against Kremlin-backed contestants.

Reuters PDT GC1711