Press Release, 02.11.2016

On 1 November. Nikolai Kavkazsky, Chairman of the Moscow Youth YABLOKO, Maria Efimova, Deputy Chair, and Nikita Arkin, member of the Regional Council of the organisation, participated in pickets in support of the convicted and tortured dissident Ildar Dadin. The action was held by the Federal Penitentiary Service.

Social networks and mass media spread information about tortures and humiliation of Dadin in the penal colony in the Karelian town of Segezha. Ildar Dadin is the first Russian civil activist convicted under Article 212.1 of the Criminal Code “Repeated violation of the established order of organising or holding meetings and rallies” (212.1 of the Criminal Code) and sentenced to a real imprisonment term of three years. He was convicted for one-person picketing which do not require any permissions from the authorities. International human rights organisation Amnesty International has recognised Ildar Dadin prisoner of conscience.

” Youth YABLOKO considers Ildar Dadin innocent. We have already participated in the campaigns for his release. On 12 February, we held a series of pickets by the State Duma demanding to release Dadin and abolish unconstitutional article of the Criminal Code in accordance with which he was convicted, ” said Nikolai Kavkazsky, who was also prisoner of the 6 of May rally case.

The YABLOKO party issued a statement demanding to stop tortures of Ildar Dadin.