Press Release, 13.04.2023

Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

The application has been submitted to the administration of the city of Murino, a rally of up to 200 people is planned to be held, if agreed on with the authorities, on Sunday, 23 April.

The application was submitted by Boris Vishnevsky, Deputy Chairman of the Yabloko party, Anatoly Golov, a member of the Yabloko Bureau and Deputy Chairman of the St.Petersburg regional branch of the party, and Dmitry Anisimov, a member of the Bureau of the regional branch.

“Now it is not necessary to receive a summons to the draft board personally – it is enough for the state that it sent it. After that, if one did not come to the military enlistment office – they would forbid leaving the country, transactions with real estate and driving a car. Certainly, this is a gross extrajudicial restriction of constitutional rights for the sake of filling the army with new recruits. The consequences are obvious: a new wave of emigration – of those young, talented and energetic,” Boris Vishnevsky said.

The State Duma adopted the draft law on “electronic” call-up papers on Tuesday, 11 April, and on 12 April it was approved by the Federation Council. From now on, those liable for military service will be notified through their personal accounts at the Gosuslugi (State Services) web-site and by registered mail. The call-up letters will be considered personally delivered as soon as sent electronically. The citizen will be considered notified of the need to appear at the military registration and enlistment office. If he does not do this within seven days, he will be considered an evader and will be forbidden to leave the country, drive a car and make transactions with property. Before introduction of the law on electronic call-up papers, paper summons had to be hand delivered at the registered addresses of would-be-recruits or places of work and men were required to sign for the delivered summons personally. Many refused to take the letters or sign for them, or did not appear at their registered address, so the recruiters had difficulties in delivering the papers.

The application for a rally was submitted in Murino, because this is the Leningrad region, where public events are allowed, and in St. Petersburg public events are still prohibited under absurd pretexts, including the coronavirus epidemic. At the same time, Murino is located near St.Petersburg and the Devyatkino metro station.

BORIS VISHNEVSKY

is Deputy Chairman of the Yabloko Party, member of the Yabloko Federal Political Committee and Bureau, and an MP of the Yabloko faction in the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg