The Ingush YABLOKO submitted signatures for registration at the municipal elections

Press Release, August 28, 2009

On August 26 the Ingush regional branch of the YABLOKO party submitted signatures required for registration of election lists at the campaign. Now the republican electoral commissions have to decide whether to let YABLOKO to participate in the elections that will be held on October 11. It is the first time in the history of Ingushetia that elections of legislative bodies on the municipal level are taking place. Regional branches of political parties have begun actively campaigning in the republic. Daud Garakoyev, leader of the Ingush YABLOKO, told about the specifics of the election campaign in the region

The Territorial Electoral Commission refuses to register YABLOKO at the election in Klin, Moscow Region

Press Release, August 28, 2009

The Territorial Electoral Commission refused to register YABLOKO at the election in the Klin district, Moscow Region. The election will take place on October 11. The decision on non-registration of YABLOKO’s list was adopted on the night August 26. It should be noted that the decision refers to all YABLOKO lists for all the cities and settlements of the Klin district...

On the night when the Territorial Electoral Commission refused to register YABLOKO in the race someone broke windows in the office of the Klin YABLOKO situated in the centre of the city. YABLOKO’s staff are certain that this case of vandalism is politically motivated.

Information about poisoning of dogs in Ivolginsky Buddhist temple in Ulan-Ude, Buryatia, confirmed

Press Release, August 27, 2009

The information about poisoning of dogs in the Ivolginsky Buddhist temple in Ulan-Ude, Buryatia, specially before President Medvedev’s visit to the temple is confirmed by the largest newspaper of the region Inform Polis.“The local authorities obviously overdid it in their wish to secure President’s visit. The residents of Verkhnyaya Ivolga village neighbouring to the temple found themselves in the transport blockade. From 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. they could not get out or come to the village. And two days prior to this, the police had visited every house and registered all the dwellers, their vehicles and cattle, they had also found out the names of all their cats and dogs. And then dogs who commuted from the village to the temple to get their food became dying. It turned out that the local veterinary service gave poison to all the dogs,” runs the paper.

The Saratov branch of YABLOKO on the coup d’etat of August 1991

Press Release, August 24, 2009

A round table talk devoted to the development of August 1991 took place in the Saratov branch of YABLOKO last Friday. “democrats of the first wave” – members of the Memorial society, YABLOKO, the former SPS party, the Right Course and Solidarity movement, as well as their colleagues, opponents and students participated in the discussion.

Dogs poisoned in the Buddhist temple in Ulan-Ude for Dmitry Medvedev’s visit

Press Release, August 24, 2009

Feeding and giving shelter to homeless dogs and cats is a tradition of any Buddhist temple. Buddhists respect all the living beings in the world, as all of them are in the single Sansara Wheel, the ever going circulation in the world, and each of us, according to the Buddhism, can come as any living being in his next life. Moreover Buddhists honour dogs and cats that have been accompanying man for thousands of years. And every monastry has dogs and cats fed by the monks and the believers.

YABLOKO submits signatures for registration at the Moscow City Duma election

Press Release, August 26, 2009

Today YABLOKO has submitted about 80,000 signatures to the Moscow Electoral Commission for registration at the Moscow City Duma election. Sergei Mitrokhin, YABLOKO’s Chairman and leader of the party election list, and activists of the Youth YABLOKO submitted to the Moscow Electoral Commission ten boxes styled as apple boxes (YABLOKO means “apple” in Russian).

Police stops YABLOKO’s motor race

Press Release, August 26, 2009

Road police blocked YABLOKO’s motor column - 15 cars with YABLOKO’s flags and symbols – by the Kremlin. The motor race was organised on the last day of collection of signatures required for registration of YABLOKO in the Moscow City Duma election race.The police ordered YABLOKO’s cars to stop and took all the driving licenses. Only after that the police explained their actions. Police officers asked for a permit to conduct such an action, and when Sergei Mitrokhin came to the site they accused the activists in “creating traffic obstacles” and ordered to draw protocols of administrative violations.

Police arrests the participants of YABLOKO’s motor race

Press Release, August 25, 2009

The road police stopped YABLOKO’s column – 15 cars with YABLOKO’s symbols – in the centre of Moscow. The police announced that the motor race was unlawful and insisted that it required prior registration with the local authorities.

The police also demanded to take YABLOKO symbols and flags off the cars, saying that they may release the column only on this condition.

Youth YABLOKO organisation in Omsk: “A human rights activist today and a corpse tomorrow?”

Press Release, August 24, 2009

On August 24 activists from the Omsk Youth YABLOKO organisation conducted two pickets at the centre of the city. The activists held placards “A human rights activist today and a corpse tomorrow?” and “’No’ to “unacceptable” versions and ‘yes’ to proper investigation!” The action was targeted at drawing public attention to the frequent murders of human rights activists in Russia. Young activists decided to “visualize” such a situation for the city residents: people covered with white sheets were lying by their feet symbolising murdered human rights activists.

ELDR Newsletter, August 2009

A massacre of human rights

The Russian Party YABLOKO, ELDR member, calls for a cardinal change of the Russian federal policies in the Northern Caucasus. “The kidnapping and murder of Zarema Sadulayeva and Alik Dzabrailov shows the inability of the regional governments to perform their functions”, Sergei Mitrokhin, Chair of the party, said.
“It is obvious that the murder of human rights activists Zarema Sadulayeva and Alik Dzabrailov is connected with their professional activities”, he continued. Statement of the YABLOKO party, August 13, 2009.

Read more

Radicali Italiani party visits Italian prisons
German Liberals heading into hot election period
YDA Convention: LYMEC addresses US Young Democrats
Elections: Rasmussen blows on the dark clouds of Afghanistan

Action in memory of Natalya Estemirova in St.Petersburg

zaks.ru, August 24, 2009

About two dozens of people gathered in Chernishevsky Garden in St.Petersburg on August 22 so that to pay tribute to the memory of Natasha Estemirova. It was the 39th day since Natasha’s death, which, according to the Muslim tradition, is a commemoration day.

YABLOKO has collected 78,000 signatures

Press Release, August 24, 2009

YABLOKO has collected 78,000 signatures (as of today) required for registration of the party in the Moscow City Duma election campaign. We shall continue collection of signatures until night August 25.
Sergei Mitrokhin, Chairman of the party and leader of YABLOKO’s election list said, “We shall continue collection of signatures in the remaining two days so that to have excess signatures to secure ourselves from possible fault-finding of the Electoral Commission”.

Police of the North-Western District of Moscow interferes with YABLOKO’s collection of signatures

Press Release, August 20, 2009

Police made another provocation against YABLOKO’s collectors of signatures for registration of YABLOKO’s list at the Moscow City Duma election campaign. YABLOKO’s activists planed to collect signatures by the Planernaya metro station (North-West of Moscow). Hardly did they began their work when Leutenant Maxim Seleznyov of the Northern Tushino police department announced to them that they were detained for unsanctioned picketing and had to go to the police department with him.

YABLOKO* celebrated Savior of the Apple Feast Day

Press Release, August 20, 2009

Protection from Arbitrary Rule on Savior of the Apple Feast Day (Yablochny Spas), such was the slogan of the YABLOKO’s action conducted on August 19. A coach with party symbols took YABLOKO’s activists first to the Kitai Gorog police department (the one which detained YABLOKO’s collectors of signatures at the Red Square), then to the court and then to lay flowers to the memorial cross set at the place of the church pulled down 45 years ago.

Who will pay the repairs of Sayano-Shushenskaya hydro-electric power station?

Sergei Mitrokhin’s blog at the Echo Moskvi radio station web-site
August 18, 2009

All the technogenic disasters in all the countries have some common roots (natural calamities, human factor, etc), however, Russia’s disasters have some specific traits rooted in our policies.
This refers to abrupt and ill-conceived commercialisation of the spheres that had to be governed with professionalism and rational conservatism. Thus, for example, there was not a single professional power engineer in the RAO Unified Energy System of Russia board since 2002, the board had only specialists in financial flows.

YABLOKO to collect signatures at the key Moscow railway stations

Press Release, August 20, 2009

On Friday, August 21, candidates to the Moscow City Duma from YABLOKO and party activists will collect signatures required for registration of YABLOKO’s election list at eight Moscow railway stations.

Court postponed examination of the cases of YABLOKO’s collectors of signatures

Press Release, August 19, 2009

Court hearings of the YABLOKO activists cases (collecting signatures at the Red Square) have been postponed. The court sent three cases of alleged “resistance to the police” back to the police department. The trials were appointed on August 25 and August 27.

YABLOKO expresses condolences to the relatives of the pilots and the victims of these accidents stations

Statement of the YABLOKO party, August 16, 2009

Two tragedies with aircrafts took place at Ramenskoye, Moscow Region and Kaluga on August 16. Igor Tkachenko, Svetlana Fedoryenko, Anton Khachkovsky were killed in these accidents. There are casualties among civilians – residents of Ramenskoye, Moscow Region.We are grieving and expressing our condolences to all the relatives of the victims and those injured.

Liberal International. Newsletter. Issue No 148

LI President condemns Burmese court decision
Lord Alderdice in meetings with Turkish Police Academy on Kurdish Question
Zille criticises President Zuma on ministerial spending and corruption
YABLOKO faces difficulties in campaigning
FNF and RELIAL host event on democracy in Latin America
Estonia seeks more budget cuts for euro bid
LI calls for submissions for contribution to the UN Human Rights Council

Read more

Police arrests YABLOKO’s activists collecting signatures at the Red Square, Moscow

Press Release, August 13, 2009

On August 16, members of the Youth Organisation of YABLOKO and Deputy of the Moscow City Duma Sergei Mitrokhin came to the Red Square to collect signatures in support of YABLOKO’s election list. (Such collection of signatures is required by law from all the non-parliamentary parties so that to be registered for running their election campaigns. The law does not specify the time and place of collection of signatures).

Several security service and police officers came to the activists and asked for a permit. The young people gave to the officers their written address to the law enforcement bodies where they cited the law and explained that collection of signatures at the Red Square does not require any prior permits or registrations. However, the police was not satisfied with the explanations.

YABLOKO presents it programme for the Moscow City Duma election

Press Release, August 13, 2009

On August 13 top candidates from YABLOKO s electoral list for the Moscow City Duma election Sergei Mitrokhin and Alexei Yablokov presented YABLOKO s election programme in the Interfax press-centre, and renown human rights activist and head of the Moscow Helsinki group Ludmila Alexeyeva told about Public Council she heads in support of YABLOKO s candidates.

The Moscow Region branch of YABLOKO nominated its candidates to run at municipal elections

Press Release, August 10, 2009

21st conference of the Moscow Region branch of YABLOKO took place on August 8. The Conference nominated candidates to run at the municipal elections in the Moscow Region.

Thus, Misheronsky city in the Shatura Area will have four candidates. The Klin branch of YABLOKO headed by attorney Elena Samsonova had the proxies for nominating candidates in the Klin area.

Murders of human rights activists represent the results of the federal policies at the Northern Caucasus

Statement of the YABLOKO party, August 13, 2009

The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO calls to a cardinal change of the federal policies at the Northern Caucasus. Kidnapping and murder of Zarema Sadulayeva and Alik Dzabrailov shows inability of the regional governments to perform their functions, marks a failure of the federal policies in Chechnya, where unlimited power was vested to Ramazan Kadyrov and none of the human rights envisaged by the Constitution of the Russian Federation are guaranteed, including the right to life.

Action in memory of human rights activists murdered in Chechnya to take place in St.Petersburg

Press Release, August 12, 2009

An action in memory of Zarema Sadulayeva and Ali Dzabrailov who worked in the Let’s Save the Generation nonprofit organisation will take place on August 12 (at 7 p.m.) by Solovetsky Stone in St.Petersburg. On August 11 Zarema Sadulaeva, head of the Let’s Save the Generation nonprofit organisation and her husband Ali Dzabrailov were kidnapped in midday when armed people came to their office saying that they represented law-enforcement bodies and took the activists with them. The next night the bodies of gunshot activists were found in the trunk of their car.

Investigation of the accident with the Kursk submarine would a step towards responsible governing

Statement of the YABLOKO party, August 12, 2009

The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO proposes to conduct objective investigation of the causes leading to the accident with the Kursk submarine and the actions of the officials during the rescue operation. We should conduct such investigation so that to at least to pay tribute to the dead sailors.

The Supreme Court of Dagestan appoints new trial on Farid Babayev’s case on August 25

Press Release, August 12, 2009

On August 11 Dagestan’s Supreme Court appointed on August 25 a new trial on the murder of Farid Babayev, leader Dagestan YABLOKO and candidate to the Deputy of the State Duma.

Earlier on January 20, 2009, the Supreme Court of Dagestan ruled out that Rasil Mamedrizayev was guilty of the murder of Farid Babayev sentencing him to 16 years of imprisonment. The court acquitted the second accomplice Seferali Sefemerzoyev.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta switched into a “black PR” campaign

Press Release, August 3, 2009

Press Service of the YABLOKO party was surprised to see an article entitled Why Yavlinsky Was Summoned to the Kremlin by Elina Bilevskaya in Nezavisimaya Gazeta of August 3. The article states that Yavlinsky made agreement with the Kremlin so that to secure deputies’ mandates for the party in the Moscow City Duma election.

Novaya Gazeta, July 27, 2009. Domestic Pain.
Pressure on human rights activists in Russia has been growing in contrary to the worldwide statements of Dmitry Medvedev’s about their support
By Boris Vishnevsky

Policies targeted at discrimination of human rights organisations represent one of the specific traits of Putin’s era.
Since 2004, when Vladimir Putin stated that many non-governmental organisations worried only about their financing from foreign funds and could not “bite the feeding hand”, the Kremlin propaganda has been promoting a simple thesis: human rights activists are those who get foreign money and work it out by “harming Russia’s interests”.

Police interferes with YABLOKO's collection of signatures

Press Release, July 30, 2009

Police stopped collection of signatures required for registration of YABLOKO's list at the Moscow City Duma election. Collection of signatures has begun today.
At Pushkinskaya square police stopped 15 people engaged in collection of signatures and took their flags and cloaks with YABLOKO's symbols. When one of the detained said that this demand was unlawful, he was arrested and taken to the local police department as organizer of the action. YABLOKO's symbols were also taken to this police department.

People against “people’s garages”

Press Release, July 28, 2009

About 300 people participated in the protest action against construction of the so-called «people’s garages” in the Sokolinaya Gora district, Moscow. The residents of the area whose garages are to be pulled down so that to construct “people’s garages” instead participated in the action.

YABLOKO to begin collection of signatures for the Moscow Duma election at the infill plots

Press Release, July 30, 2009

YABLOKO to begin collection of signatures in favour of its list of candidates for the Moscow Duma election in the yard of Vavilova 48, where Alliance Group is going to build an elite block of flats instead of the sports ground belonging to the condominium of the block of flats No 48. The right of the condominium to the sports ground was confirmed by the Court of Arbitration.

The Electoral Commission attested YABLOKO's election lists for the Moscow City Duma election and the party can start collection of signatures

Interfax. July 27, 2009

The lists of candidates to the deputies of the Moscow City Duma submitted by the YABLOKO party to the Moscow Electoral Commission were attested and certified at the Commission meeting on Monday.YABLOKO's list of 49 candidates was approved by the party conference of the Moscow branch of YABLOKO on July 22. The list is topped by Moscow City Duma deputies Sergei Mitrokhin, YABLOKO's leader and Chair of the Moscow branch of YABLOKO, and Eugeni Bunimovich, Deputy Chair of the Moscow YABLOKO.

St.Petersburg youth organization of YABLOKO commemorates ten years of Putin’s coming into power

Press Release, August 10, 2009

On August 9 St.Petersburg youth organization of YABLOKO conducted the Ten Years Under Putin action. The action took place in the centre of St.Petersburg (Bolshaya Moskovskaya) under close supervision of police.

The police demands that YABLOKO should collect signatures in silence

Press Release, August 6, 2009

On August 5, the police interfered with collection of signatures by the YABLOKO party by Tushinskaya metro station. This time collection of signatures was organized by four groups of businessmen. The police asked the collectors to take off all YABLOKO’s flags and coats with party symbols. They also asked YABLOKO’s activists to show an allowance from the local authority, however, such an allowance is redundant for election campaigns. In spite of this YABLOKO had informed the local authority of the North-Western district of Moscow of such collection.

Municipal head fired due to violations

Press Release, August 4, 2009

“YABLOKO supports the decision [of the Moscow Mayor] to fire the head of the North-Western administrative district of Moscow Viktor Kozlov”, said YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin. According to Mitrokhin, such decision of the Mayor of Moscow demonstrates that he decided to reform his team. Mitrokhin also added that “the fact that Kozlov was sacked confirmed that YABLOKO’s criticism of the ex-Prefect was correct”.

YABLOKO’s candidates to the deputies of the Moscow City Duma to participate in collection of signatures

Press Release, August 3, 2009

On August 3 YABLOKO’s candidates to the deputies of the Moscow City Duma will participate in collection of signatures required for enrollment in the election campaign.

Elections to the Moscow City Duma, 2009 - new theme in Elections

Activists of the Youth Organisation of St.Petersburg YABLOKO to conduct Ten Years of Putinism Action

Press Release, August 6, 2009

On Sunday, August 9, activists of the Youth Organisation of the St.Petersburg branch of YABLOKO will conduct Ten Years of Putinism action. That is how young democrats are going to mark the ten year anniversary of Vladimir Putin coming into power. On August 9, 1999, President of Russia Boris Yeltsin appointed Vladimir Putin acting Prime Minister. A week later the State Duma officially approved the appointment.

Court acquitted YABLOKO’s collectors of signatures

Press Release, August 3, 2009

Judge of the court of the first instance (Dorogomilovo Moscow court) returned to the police the case on arrest of two collectors of signatures of the YABLOKO party who were incriminated “conducting propaganda in the restricted period”.

YABLOKO begins collection of signatures for enrollment in the Moscow City Duma election race

Press Release, July 31, 2009

YABLOKO began collection of signatures for registration of its list of candidates for the Moscow City Duma election. However, collectors of signatures encountered hostile actions from the police. On July 30, two party activists were arrested by the Park Pobedi metro station and were detained in the local police office (Dorogomilovo) for several hours, after which the case of “administrative violation” was sent to court.