Press release, 24.09.2015
The Pskov Regional Assembly illegally deprived Lev Shlosberg, leader of the Pskov branch of YABLOKO, of his mandate. Shlosberg is going to appeal against the decision in court.
41 deputies voted in favour of the proposal to deprive Shlosberg of his mandate, 3 voted against it.
Within 14 days YABLOKO Bureau is going to decide whom the mandate will be passed to.
Shlosberg was accused of representation in court the interests of the organisation Center of Social Engineering “Revival”, of which he was the founder. The legal side of the matter is simple: the court did not rule out that Lev Shlosberg’s representation of the interests of the NGO was against the law. The federal law does not stipulate for termination of the powers of a deputy for participation in a trial.

“Pressure has been put on all the deputies, personal pressure. Actually, the chemical treatment of the deputies of the Pskov Regional Assembly took place. It effected even those people who several days ago had told me in person that they would not support the proposal under any circumstances. Unfortunately, some of these people cracked up.

We will appeal against the decision of the Pskov Regional Assembly deputies in court and do everything possible to seek justice.
What happened in the Pskov Regional Assembly has exceeded the limits of a regional parliament. It does not only concern me. The people who were directly involved in preparation of this decision openly announced the reasons why they support it. It is pure political reason and nothing else.

The case is not only with me, but such a precedent has taken place when one can be deprived not only of a position but of the deputy status for their views and civil stance, for certain actions, for words written on the paper, for journalism.

From my point of view, when a person is elected by the citizens the deputy status is given to the deputy for 5 years term. I am working for twenty and a half thousand citizens who voted for YABLOKO in the Pskov region in December 2011, for those voters who support us now, for those who might have never participated in elections yet but live in the Pskov region and realise that it is our territory and our home.

No political, civil or legal changes will take place. All the efforts we have made to provide all possible help and protection to the residents of the Pskov region will be continued. No one will feel any changes concerning our power, our conviction and our rightness”, said Lev Shlosberg.
YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin, deputy of the St.Petersburg Legislative Assembly Boris Vishnevsky and Chair of St.Petersburg YABLOKO branch Mikhail Amosov arrived at the meeting to support Lev Shlosberg.
Lev Shlosberg is a renowned Russian journalist who was the first to disclose the Russian losses in Ukraine and was severely beaten right after the publication. Chair of the Pskov branch of YABLOKO, which has been demonstrating very good results in elections of all levels in the region. In the recent elections on 13 September YABLOKO obtained 17 mandates in elections in two districts of the region