Yugeny Vitishko, a renowned environmentalist and civil
rights activist, member of the Regional Council of the Krasnodar
branch of YABLOKO and member of the North Caucasus Environmental
Watch, is running for the post of head of the Krymsk District
in South Russia (the district which suffered from a large
flood this summer) from the YABLOKO party. The elections will
be held on December 9.
This summer, Vitishko was sentenced due to fraudulent evidence
to three years probation for the "damage to the fence"
around the Governor Tkachyov’s cottage. The lands under the
cottage and the fensed beach nearby still registered as public
are virtually in the Governor’s property. Now new charges
are invented so that to withdraw a strong candidate from the
election campaign. The authorities threaten to replace a suspended
sentence by a real imprisonment using the condition of the
suspended sentence which runs that Vitishko should be at the
place of his residence from 12 pm to 6:00 am.
As Eugene Vitishko is registered in Tuapse, after registration
as a candidate, he sent a notice to the criminal inspection
about changing his place of residence to Krymsk where he should
campaign. However, he did not have an answer from the inspection
and had to leave for Krymsk and register as a resident there.
Despite that he did not violate the court’s order in any way,
the inspection of Tuapse sent him a notification yesterday
running that he had to return to Tuapse or else he would be
imprisoned.
"There is no doubt that it is another attempt to press
on Vitishko. Thus the government is trying to derail the election
campaign of an only opposition candidate in the elections,”
said Andrei Rudomakha, leader of the Krasnodar branch of YABLOKO.
See also:
Regional
and Local Elections 2012
A second
action in support of Vladimir Putin takes place in front the
Krasnodar office of the YABLOKO party. Press Release, November
22, 2012.
On YABLOKO’s initiative
the Congress of European liberals condemned reprisals against
Russian opposition. Press Release, November 10, 2012
On reprisals
against YABLOKO activists and dissenters in Russia
Urgency Resolution submitted by the YABLOKO party and adopted
by ALDE Congress on November 9, 2012
Protection
of Environment
Human
Rights
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