The Bureau of the YABLOKO party applied to
Public Prosecutor General Yury Chaika demanding to bring to
justice the officers of the Tambov region departments of the
security, the interior and the Investigation Committee, who
began interrogating YABLOKO’s collectors of signatures (collection
of signatures of the electorate is a requirement for party
registration in an election campaign) as well as those voters
who put their signatures in favour of YABLOKO’s regional parliamentary
campaign in March 2011.
On February 4, 2011, the Tambov Regional Electoral Commission
refused to register YABLOKO’s list of candidates nominated
to run for the Tambov regional parliament stating that 371
out of 1,718 signatures were allegedly fraudulent.
The law enforcement began investigation of the circumstances
relating to the collection of signatures. YABLOKO’s Bureau
indicated that the police were conducting the investigation
with grave violation of laws and constitutional rights of
the citizens.
Thus, the investigation was launched by the FSB of the Tambov
region, which is not authorised to conduct such investigations
in accordance with law.
The collectors of signatures were summoned to the FSB and
the Investigation Committee by phone without handing them
official summons. Also the collectors had to face psychological
pressure and threats of criminal prosecution during interrogations.
Recently the police of the Tambov region, which is also not
authorised to investigate such cases, began to calling the
citizens who had put their signatures in favour of YABLOKO
for questioning; whereas the authenticity of their signatures
had never been questioned.
However this did not prevent the police to carry out the
investigation on “fraudulent signatures”: one of YABLOKO’s
voters was forced to give 64 (!) samples of his signature.
In addition, the audit is carried out in violation of the
terms established by law. The term of audit has already exceeded
30 days set by law.
"Such actions against citizens who exercise their constitutional
right to vote, including the right to nominate and support
the nomination of candidates, represent not only a flagrant
violation of the law, but also cause irreparable political
damage both to the law enforcement which should protect the
rights of the citizens, and the citizens who are losing trust
in free elections, " runs YABLOKO’s address to the Public
Prosecutor General.
YABLOKO believes that such actions are targeted at intimidation
of the people and “create tensions and mistrust to the institutions
of government in society."
The Bureau demanded from Public Prosecutor General to conduct
an immediate investigation of the violations of law and civil
rights by the officers of the FSB, the interior and the Investigation
Committee of the Tambov region, establish the perpetrators
and bring them to justice.
See also:
Regional
Elections 2011
Regional
elections demonstrate much fraud. Press Release, March 17,
2011
Half
of Yabloko Nominees Banned. The Moscow Times, March 4, 2011
YABLOKO
submitted to electoral commissions signatures for registration
in election campaign in 13 regions. Press Release, January
28, 2011
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