Press Release, 17.01.2023

Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

On 24 January, Yabloko will host an annual charity auction in support of political prisoners. The guests of the party office in Moscow and the viewers of the YouTube broadcast will be offered 19 lots provided by well-known Russian politicians, journalists and artists. All the funds raised will be used to support eight political prisoners.

The donors of the lots this year were politicians Grigory Yavlinsky, Nikolai Rybakov, Boris Vishnevsky, Lev Shlosberg, journalists Svetlana Sorokina, Pavel Lobkov and Viktor Shenderovich, film critic Zinaida Pronchenko, poet Dmitry Bykov, political strategist Pavel Dubravsky, artists Sergei Polyakov, Yevgeny Sinyutin and Yaroslav Shirogorova, the team of the independent theater “Teatr.doc”, the editors of the almanac Moloko Plus and others.

This year Yabloko decided to raise funds for the following political prisoners:

Mikhail Afanasyev, the editor of the Novy Focus online media in Khakassia, the prize-winner of the Sakharov Prize for Journalism as an Action, and a member of the Yabloko party. He is accused of spreading “fake news about the army” using his official position (Article 207.3, Part 2, Paragraph “a”, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

Alexandra Skochilenko, a Petersburg artist, poetess and musician. She is accused of spreading “fake news about the army” (Article 207.3, Part 2, Paragraph “d” of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

Alexei Gorinov, a Moscow municipal deputy. Accused of spreading “fake news about the army” (Article 207.3, Part 2, Paragraphs “a”, “b”, and “e” of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

Artyom Kamardin, a poet and a defendant in the Mayakovsky case in Moscow. Accused of inciting hatred or enmity with the threat of violence (Article 282, Paragraph “a” of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

Yegor Shtovba – a poet and a defendant in the Mayakovsky case in Moscow. Accused of inciting hatred or enmity with the threat of violence (Article 282, Paragraph “a” of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

Nikolai Daineko, a poet and a defendant in the Mayakovsky case in Moscow. Accused of inciting hatred or enmity with the threat of violence (Article 282, Paragraph “a” of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

Sergei Komandirov, a civil activist in Smolensk. Accused of justifying terrorism (Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

Mikhail Krieger, a Moscow-based opposition activist who has been participating in protests against the rule of Vladimir Putin and political repression for more than 15 years. Accused of public calls to carry out terrorist activities and public justification of terrorism (Article 205.2 Part 2 of the Criminal Code).

Detailed information about the lots and the initial cost will appear on the Yabloko website later.

Anyone can take part in the auction and compete for the lots. The organisers are ready to send the lots to the auction winners to any cities in Russia. The main condition is the transfer of the final cost of the lot to the account of the organisers in the form of a donation immediately after the end of the auction. After the end of the auction, all proceeds will be divided into equal parts and sent to the relatives of the aforementioned political prisoners.

The auction will take place on 24 January, at 18:30 (Moscow time). The auction will be held at the central office of the Yabloko party at the address Moscow, Pyatnitskaya 31, building 2. Participation is the auction envisaged preliminary registration (https://party-yabloko.timepad.ru/event/2297629/ ).

In addition, the Yabloko party’s YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mdWHLGRYJs&feature=youtu.be ) will broadcast the auction, where viewers can place bids in a specially created auction Telegram chat (https://t.me/+Axlh5NyImOJlNzVi ).