Press Release, 20.09.2025

Photo: Boris Vishnevsky and film director Alexander Sokurov (left) at the launch of the book “Chronicles of the Revived Arkanar” by Boris Vishnevsky at the Mayakovsky Library in St Petersburg, 7 April 2016 / Photo by Alexander Chizhenok, Kommersant

A lawsuit on administrative violation has been filed with St.Petersburg City Court by the City Public Prosecutor’s Office demanding that a collection of articles by Yabloko party Deputy Chairman Boris Vishnevsky, published in 2015, be declared extremist material.

The expert examination cited by the Public Prosecutor’s Office is based on a subjective and biased interpretation of the book’s content and does not comply with legislative requirements. The substantive part of the “expert study” comprises less than two pages.

The authors of the study — a Master of Religious Studies and a psychologist in the public education system — using provisions of the Criminal Code as amended on 6 April 2024, assess the presence of unlawful actions in the book and reflect on the constitutional order.

As a result, the authors identified the phrase “return to the civilised world” as a call to violence and describe as offensive Vishnevsky’s “invectives” that the church may have “down to earth goals”.

The Yabloko party will provide all possible assistance to Boris Vishnevsky and expects the court to give an objective assessment of the “experts'” conclusions.

BORIS VISHNEVSKY

is Deputy Chairman of the Yabloko Party, member of the Yabloko Federal Political Committee and Bureau. MP of the Yabloko faction in the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg (2011-2024)