“As long as there are political prisoners in Russia, Russia will not have a worthy future”
Members of the Yabloko party came out on one-person pickets
Press Release, 19.10.2019
On Friday, October 18, one-person pickets (that do not require permissions from the authorities) were organised by the Association of Independent Municipal Deputies. Picketing took place by metro stations at the end of the working day. The purpose of the action was to draw attention to unlawfully convicted participants in summer rallies for fair elections, the so-called defendants in the “Moscow riots case”. Yabloko also joined the action in support of political prisoners.
Yabloko Chair Emilia Slabunova went out with the banner “Freedom for Political Prisoners” to Akademicheskaya metro station. She said that the true defendants in criminal cases should be those who participated in the rigging of the elections, who did not allow opposition candidates for elections to the Moscow City Duma, refused to give permissions for peaceful rallies, pickets, marches and demonstrations, and denied citizens the realisation of their constitutional rights. “The “Moscow riots case” is a completely shameful page in Russian history. All political prisoners must be immediately released,” Slabunova emphasised.
Yelena Dubrovina, member of the Yabloko Federal Political Committee and head of the Centre for Legislative Initiatives, also went on a picket at Akademicheskaya metro station. According to Dubrovina, the criminal cases under Article 212 of the Criminal Code of the RF (“on mass riots”) completely discredit the law enforcement agencies in Russia. “If the authorities continue to apply such repressive measures, our country does not have a civilised future,” Dubrovina said.
Grigory Yavlinsky, Yabloko founder and head of Yabloko’s Federal Political Committee, also picketed by Akademicheskaya metro station.
Yelena Rusakova, unregistered candidate for elections to the Moscow City Duma and head of the Gagarinsky municipal district, was also on the action.
Daria Besedina, deputy of the Yabloko faction in the Moscow City Duma, picketed by Sokol metro station.
Maxim Kruglov, head of the party faction of the Moscow City Duma, was with a picket near VDNKh metro station.
Posted: October 21st, 2019 under Elections, Freedom of Assembly, Freedom of Speech, Human Rights, Moscow City Duma Elections 2019.