Press Release, 3.07.2021

Photo: Boris Vishnevsky / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

The meaning of all Russian laws of recent months is the criminalisation of political activity, any criticism of the government and its policies is declared criminal – this is something that has not happened since the USSR, says Boris Vishnevsky, Deputy Chairman of Yabloko and head of the party’s faction in the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg.

Vishnevsky appealed to the delegates of the 21st Congress of Yabloko, which takes place in Moscow on July 3-4.

“The Russian sovereign authoritarianism has been increasingly demonstrating totalitarian features, and one can simply look around what kind of state is being built to realise it. This is a state with the omnipotence of special services, and political repression, of which anyone can become a victim. With a huge apparatus of state lies and propaganda, a ruling party, and attempts to organise a state ideology,” Boris Vishnevsky noted.

He also stated that people deprived of election rights have been appearing in Russia – a huge number of people who on absolutely arbitrary grounds and in an indefinite way can be deprived of voting rights at any time, while we get a law that is given retroactive force.

Vishnevsky stressed that Yabloko offers an alternative to Russian society and stands for something that is directly opposite to the policies of the Russian authorities.

“There is no other alternative today and no other registered opposition party but Yabloko, because other parties, following Putin, are going into the same political dead end. The only difference is that some want to go to this dead end with songs, some with dances, while other discuss what costumes to wear during this march, but they are all united in the main thing,” Boris Vishnevsky said.

“The authorities are very tempted to get rid of us as the last obstacle to the restoration of the totalitarian system. I hope that we will stand, that we will be able to achieve tangible results. We give hope to citizens and a chance for the future, a chance to move forward, not backward. The alternative is very simple: either with Yabloko to the future, or with everyone else into the swamp of the past,” the Deputy Chairman of the party concluded.

The pre-election congress of the Yabloko party started on July 3. It will take place over two days. The congress will nominate candidates for State Duma deputies on the federal list and single-mandate constituencies, as well as adopt an electoral programme of the party.