Press Release, 4.04.2023

Photo: Vladimir Yefimov / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

Past week, the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court found Vladimir Yefimov, journalist and Chairman of the Kamchatka branch of Yabloko, guilty of “discrediting the army” (Article 280.3, Part 1, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The court imposed a fine of 200,000 roubles on the journalist and also banned him accessing the Internet for two years. The decision has not yet entered into force. Now Vladimir Yefimov needs help to cover the services of a lawyer. Yabloko launches a fundraising campaign to collect of 80,000 roubles.

The reason for initiating a criminal case against Vladimir Yefimov was his pacifist posts on social media. Previously, he was fined twice for his stance under the administrative article on “discrediting the army”.

Vladimir Yefimov is a Kamchatka journalist and politician. In 1989, Vladimir Yefimov became one of the organisers of the TVK television company, the first non-state independent television company in the USSR, and was its Editor-in-Chief for 18 years. In January 2021, he received the highest award of the regional branch of the Union of Journalists of Russia “Journalistic Glory of Kamchatka”.

Since May 2022, Vladimir Yefimov has been banned from certain actions: the journalist was deprived of the opportunity to use the Internet. The present court’s decision extend this ban for two years, which means that Vladimir Yefimov is left without his profession and a possibility to earn his leaving.

Yabloko is asking its members and supporters, as well as all Russian citizens who are not indifferent to the unfair court decision against politician and journalist Vladimir Yefimov, to help pay for the services of a lawyer. We are talking about the amount of 80,000 roubles. Funds are collected to the account of the party, after which they will be sent to Vladimir Yefimov.