Press release based on the statement by Yabloko’s Green Russia faction and the Leningrad Region branch of Yabloko, 18.08.2017

Yabloko’s Green Russia faction and the Leningrad Region branch of Yabloko released a statement demanding to bring the man who attacked Natalia Nadler to responsibility.

On 10 August, Natalia Nadler, the head of the local Yabloko branch in the city of Volzhsk, the Leningrad Region, was attacked. She rebuked a man, who made a fire of ruberoid and tires at the allotment neighbouring her cottage. In response to that the man took a metal sheet and slashed Natalia’s face with it.

“The police have not still detained the attacker, although there are plenty of opportunities to do it. Law enforcement have not interrogated the witnesses, they have done no investigative work either on purpose or as a result of negligence. You get the impression that it is a way of revenge for Natalia Nadler’s environmental and human rights activity,” runs the statement.

Natalia Nadler is a well-known activist and defender of Sofiyevka Park. Several years ago local authorities gave their permission to develop the territory of the park. In 2015 Yabloko and local residents managed to put the park on the list of cultural property sites of the Leningrad Region. However, the local administration still has not finished the procedure of legitimisation of the park, and Natalia Nadler is addressing the issue quite often. So, she is out of favour with the local authorities.

“The Leningrad branch of Yabloko claims that the offender who attacked environmentalist and human rights defender Natalia Nadler represents serious danger for the society. We demand that the law enforcement must immediately arrest and isolate him,” runs the statement signed by Olga Tsepilova, Chair of Yabloko’s Green Russia faction, and Lina Zernova, the head of the Leningrad branch of Yabloko.