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Protesters against the Anti-Magnitsky Law by the Federation Council face huge fines and compulsory community service works

Press Release

December 26, 2012

Activists of the Youth YABLOKO protesting this morning by the Federation Council against the so-called Dima Yakovlev law (“the orphans law”) are facing administrative fines amounting to RUR 30,000 (approximately USD 1,000) and compulsory community service works. Cases of administrative violations are filed against four activists.

"Children freeze in the cold war”

A series of pickets against the approval by the Federation Council of the law prohibiting American families to adopt children from Russia started an hour before the plenary session of the Federation Council. In order not to violate the law, as only one-person pickets can be conducted without getting a prior permission from the authorities, the protesters planned to picket in turn changing each other every ten minutes and passing the banners "Senators, fight against corruption, not orphans" and "Children freeze in the cold war” from hand to hand.

However, each of the picketers managed to stand with a banner for a few minutes only. Policemen without any explanation detained the protesters and dragged them to the police bus. Thus, Youth YABLOKO activists Kirill Goncharov, Yuri Turin and Ludmila Milovidova found themselves in the police bus. Another party member Yaroslav Kolobkov was arrested for reciting by the Federation Council news reports on brutal killings of Russian children by their own parents. In addition, the police detained three civil society activists.

At present all the activists are in the Meschansky police department. Cases of violations in accordance with Article 20.2 of the Administrative Code "Violation of the rules of organization, or <...> conducting of picketing” are filed against them. The new version of this article envisages a fine from RUR 20,000 to RUR 30,000 or up to 50 hours of compulsory communal work.

Zaza Abshilava, organizer of the action and leader of the Youth YABLOKO, told the reporters that he had worked as a volunteer at orphanages for children with cerebral paralysis and autism. According to Abshilava, Russian families virtually do not adopt children with such diseases, and according to statistics, Americans prevail in the families adopting such children. "In the U.S. they can get treatment, and here they are is doomed to a slow death," said Abshilava.

The YABLOKO party has condemned the draft law which became a “response” of the Russian authorities to the U.S. Magnitsky Act. YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin noted in his statement, “Following the example of the Bolsheviks the Russian government takes a "revenge" on the enemy by making maximum possible damage to its own citizens, in this case to the desolate and helpless children, whom they regard as their ownership, as serfs.”

See also:

Human Rights

Boris Vishnevsky: Have you voted for "anyone" but the ruling party? Now get the consequences.Boris Vishnevsky's blog at the Ekho Moskvi web-site, December 22, 2012.

Alexander Shishlov: The ban on adoption of Russian children by US citizens is immoral. RIA Novosti, December 24, 2012.

Sanctions against Russian orphans. Grigory Yavlinsky's Live Journal, December 19, 2012.

State Duma’s revenge on the US affects only Russian orphans. Statement by YABLOKO Chairman, December 18, 2012.

 

Press Release

December 26, 2012

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