Press Release, 16.06.2023

Photo by the Pskov branch of Yabloko

The Pskov branch of Yabloko used the remainder of the charitable amount raised to pay the fine for Yelena Kuzmina, a Pskov resident accused of extremism and terrorism for her posts on VKontakte social media criticizing Vladimir Putin, so that to help to cover the fines for 15 more people.

On 22 March, court sentenced Yelena Kuzmina  to a fine of 450,000 roubles. On 24 March, Lev Shlosberg, Chairman of the Pskov branch of Yabloko and member of the Federal Political Committee of the party, announced fundraising to pay the fine for Yelena Kuzmina. The required amount was collected in a few hours, and Lev Shlosberg wrote about it on social media, but money from Russian citizens continued to come.

Yelena’s family and the Pskov Yabloko, after paying the fine and the work of a lawyer, decided to send the remaining funds to help people who suffered for their anti-war stance. Members of the Yabloko team found those whose cases of “discrediting the army” were considered by the courts of the Pskov region, contacted them and offered help. Two people donated the money they received to the Pskov Yabloko.

For more than a year, Yabloko has been helping to pay fines to those standing for peace and subjected to pressure from the law enforcement for this. Yabloko launched a special project “Let’s help those who do not keep silent”. To date, Yabloko managed to raise money to pay fines for 26 people, including members of the Pskov Yabloko team Lyubov Zhiltsova, Ivan Kotkov and Ivan Prishchepa.