MOSCOW, January 17. /TASS/. The Kremlin has not given any instructions for the Russian regions on banning opposition rallies, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.

"No, the Kremlin has not given any instructions and making these decisions is absolutely a matter of the regions and regional authorities," Peskov said answering a question if the Russian presidential administration had ordered the regions to ban opposition rallies, including blogger Alexey Navalny’s rally in the Sverdlovsk region, in the Urals.

Peskov stressed that the initiative on banning these rallies is not put forward by the Kremlin. "The Kremlin believes these decisions should be strictly based on the norms and rules that are specified by our legislation."

Earlier reports said Navalny’s headquarters was notified of a ban on holding the rally on January 28.