Press Release, 28.10.2022

Photo: Anatoly Nogovitsyn, Chairman of the Yabloko branch in Yakutia / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

On 24 October, police conducted an “additional inspection of the scene” at the office of the regional branch of the Yabloko party in Yakutia, as part of a criminal case filed under of Article 280.3 Part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the armed forces of the Russian Federation”). The case was filed against Anatoly Nogovitsyn, the leader of the regional branch of Yabloko in Yakutia. During the “inspection”, police officers confiscated a computer system unit, memory drives, as well as Nogovitsyn’s clothes – a white shirt and cardigan which he kept in the office for formal events. The police have already returned the equipment and flash drives, but decided to keep Nagovitsin’s clothes for now.

The “inspection” of the office of the Yabloko branch in Yakutsk took place in the presence of witnesses, however, none of Yabloko members were present. The owner of the premises that Yabloko rents for its office opened the door to the police.

According to the relatives of Anatoly Nogovitsyn, the equipment and flash drives have already been returned to Nogovitsyn at the police department today. However, if the police return his clothes remains unknown.

Anatoly Nogovitsyn has been under a ban on certain actions. He is suspected of repeated “discrediting the army” for his video commentary on his personal Telegram channel in which he expressed his opinion about the “special operation” and “partial mobilisation”.

It should be noted that Yabloko members in other regions are under investigation: Vladimir Yefimov, journalist and Chairman of the Yabloko branch in Kamchatka, Mikhail Afanasyev, journalist and a Yabloko member from Khakassia, and Alexander Grigoryev, a Yabloko member from Lipetsk.