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Action “Churov, it’s time for you to have a shave!” lead to arrest of YABLOKO’s activists

Press Release

March 3, 2010

Today, on March 3, YABLOKO conducted a protest action against withdrawal of YABLOKO’s lists of candidates from election race in the Kaluga and Sverdlovsk regions by the Central Electoral Commission office. A large balloon filled with helium took large scissors up to the window of the cabinet of Vladimir Churov, head of the Central Electoral Commission.


“Do I have to swear by my beard that I shall do all I can so that elections [in Russia] be honest? I swear!” said Vladimir Churov, Chair of the Central Electoral Commission during broadcasting at the REN TV channel on March 15, 2007. Activists of the Youth YABLOKO’s reminded Vladimir Churov of his oath. They also held a slogan by the Central Electoral Commission office “Stop withdrawing us from elections!” and demanded that Vladimir Churov should come down from the office to them and answer the questions.


“We have not witnessed such a situation before when our party could be withdrawn from elections in two regions simultaneously,” YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin who also participated in the action told to the journalists. “We have been patient for a long time as we remembered Churov’s promise to guarantee honest elections, however, now our patience is gone,” he added.


It should be noted that the signatures collected in support of YABLOKO’s lists in the Sverdlovsk and Kaluga regions were announced “invalid” by regional electoral commissions on factitious and unlawful pretexts. The Central Electoral Commission left YABLOKO’s complaints without examination. The Kaluga and Sverdlovsk regions are the regions where YABLOKO has always enjoyed considerable support of the electorate.


Vladimir Churov did not come down to YABLOKO’s activists, then they raised the balloon with scissors to his window. Several dozens police and security officers watched the action and did not interfere until the end of the action. However, when the action was finished, they circled four young activists and took them to the police station. Sergei Mitrokhin also followed his party-mates to the police station and was arrested there.


The police without any explanations of the detention and without raising any charges against them searched the activists Andrei Koshman, Maxim Kruglov and Andrei Lazaryev confiscating their mobile phones. After which the activists were put behind bars. The police also attempted to confiscate mobile phone from Sergei Mitrokhin. YABLOKO’s leader called this “sheer lawlessness” explaining the actions of the police were violating the law.

 

See also:


Regional Elections 2010

Sverdlovsk Region branch of YABLOKO appeals to the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. Press Release, March 2.

Non-registration of YABLOKO in the regional elections: a hypocrisy or a weakness of the presidential power? Statement of the Bureau of the YABLOKO party. February 27, 2010

Regional Court did not let YABLOKO to participate in the election campaign to the Sverdlovsk Region parliament. Press Release. February 26, 2010

Chair of Sverdlovsk Electoral Commission Mostovschikov to dismissal! Statement of the Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO. February 5, 2010

The Electoral Commission of the Sverdlovsk Region hampers YABLOKO’s campaigning for mandates in the regional parliament. UralInfromBureau. January 12, 2010

Sverdlovsk YABLOKO demands to annul the decision of the electoral commission not to register YABLOKO in the election race. Press Release. February 16, 2010

YABLOKO enters litigation disputing the decision of the regional electoral commission. Press Release, February 19, 2010


 


 

 


Press Release

March 3, 2010