On July 30 Public Prosecutor dismissed his charges against
YABLOKO’s MP in the Tula parliament Vladimir Timakov. Public
Prosecutor asked to close the case due to for absence of elements
of crime in the act after getting the results of a linguistic
expertise. This means that the sentence of the court of the
first instance recognising Timakov guilty of libel for his
criticism of the Governor of the Tula Region will be cancelled.
Over two yeas ago Vyacheslav Dudka, Governor of the Tula Region,
started litigation against YABLOKO’s MP in the Tula City Parliament
Vladimir Timakov for the criticism of the latter of the Governor’s
performance accusing Timakov of libel. In the first civil
process the Governor won 1.5 mln roubles of “moral damage”
from Timakov and than tried to persecute the MP in the criminal
proceedings which could have led to deprivation of Timakov
of his deputy’s mandate.
The proceedings took not only over two years of life of Timakov
and his family but also considerably hampered with Timakov’s
work as he was not allowed to leave the city.
YABLOKO expressed its indignation with persecution for the
criticism of state officials which was not only outrageous
in itself but also employed considerable forces from the law
enforcement and the judicial (three lawyers of the regional
administration, investigators, prosecutors, judges and multiple
experts) making them to obey to the Governor’s whims rather
than fighting real crime.
Commenting of the dismissal of the charges Timakov said, “I
do not think that I have wasted the last two years. It was
a serious lesson to all of us: politicians, judges, prosecutors,
investigators and journalists. A law-governed society can
not emerge all of a sudden – a way to it leads via such torturing
procedures. The right of the citizens to criticize the officials
should not be simply envisaged by the law, it should go into
our flesh and blood and become natural for all of us. And
this requires examples and important precedents. I hope that
our trial will make such an example for the Tula region, and
from now on none of the governors will think about persecuting
people for criticism of their work.”
See also:
On
the court judgment on Vladimir Timakov libel case. Statement
by the Chairman of the Tula branch of YABLOKO.
November 30, 2010.
YABLOKO conducted
a picket in support of deputy of the Tula City Duma. Press
Release. September 7, 2010.
Tula City
Duma deputy persecuted for his criticism of the Governor’s
work. Statement by the Tula branch of YABLOKO. July 15, 2010
Freedom
of Speech
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