Press Release, 27.03.2025

Photo: Konstantin Smirnov / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

The Sovietsky District Court of Ryazan decided to extend the term of detention for Konstantin Smirnov, journalist and municipal deputy from Yabloko, for another two months. The court took such a decision despite the requests of Smirnov and his defence to change the measure of restraint to any not related to imprisonment.

Konstantin Smirnov has been held in the Ryazan pretrial detention facility since 31 January on the charges of alleged extorting a bribe from Alexei Rogotovsky, acting general director of the regional Capital Repairs Fund. Journalist Smirnov paid attention to the unsatisfactory work of the fund as part of his professional activities – Smirnov, as the editor-in-chief of Vid Sboku (Side View) online media, published articles criticising the functioning of the fund.

Konstantin Smirnov denies guilt. The recent statement by the Governor of the Ryazan Region Pavel Malkov about the work of the Capital Repairs Fund confirms that the attention of Vid Sboku, the leading regional media, to the activities of the fund was caused by the protection by the interests of citizens:

“Unfortunately, I was spoke about this here a year ago. And questions still remain. The situation is certainly changing, there are positive developments [in the activities of the fund]. But still there are more questions than answers. The planned volume of work has not been fulfilled. This does not satisfy either the residents of Ryazan or me personally. All instructions have been given, so we will definitely improve [the work of the fund]. I hope that next time I will say more positive things about the Fund in my report,” Governor Malkov noted during reporting to the Regional Duma on 24 March.

Konstantin Smirnov also spoke out against the municipal reform targeted at liquidation of local self-governing in the region. Immediately after the detention Smirnov, who was a municipal deputy from Yabloko in the Dubrovichi rural settlement and tried to defend self-governing in the settlement, the Municipal Council voted for the liquidation of the settlement.