RIA Novosti/ Maxim Blinov

Press release, 10.02.2016
Sergei Mitrokhin, member of YABLOKO’s Federal Political Committee and Chair of Moscow YABLOKO, considers that Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, who ordered to start the mass demolition of sales premises in Moscow on the night of 9 Februray, must offer explanations to the President of Russia in the presence of the aggrieved entrepreneurs.

This way Mitrokhin reacted to the statement by Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin’s press secretary, that one must “ask for their point of view, the explanations on behalf of the Moscow government”.

“I agree with Peskov that Sobyanin must offer explanations, let the President listen to them. In connection with that I ask Vladimir Putin to do it in the presence of those whose property was destroyed – the owners of the legitimate shopping facilities. The Mayor must explain how exactly he is going to compensate for the lost property to the President and entrepreneurs,” Sergei Mitrokhin noted.

According to Sergei Mitrokhin, such a meeting could become a signal for the heads of other regions that the authorities support the private property rights.

Sergei Mitrokhin does not agree with Dmitry Peskov’s statement that the demolition of the sales premises in Moscow is not “the Kremlin’s issue”.

“The issue of the Kremlin is the guarantees of the Russian Constitution observance, including Article 35 which protects the rights to private property”, Mitrokhin said.

Dmitry Peskov issued his statement after Sergei Mitrokhin had published an application to the President of Russia. In his application Mitrokhin point out at the obvious violation of Artcile 35 of the Constitution which says that “the right of private property shall be protected by law… no one may be deprived of property otherwise than by a court decision”. As it turned out, a large number of entrepreneurs whose premises were demolished have the court decisions which prove their rights to the lost property.