ALDE, 09.11.2015

In another worrying sign that opposition parties in Russia continue to face heavy and undue pressure, Sergei Mitrokhin, the leader of ALDE Party member party YABLOKO, was suddenly arrested by the police on Saturday as he was participating in an annual remembrance event in Moscow. YABLOKO managed to get him released later on the same day, but he still faces the threat of long-term imprisonment for alleged violations of several Russian laws.

On 7 November each year, YABLOKO commemorate officers and students of military schools – the defenders of democratic Russia – who fought against the Bolshevik coup d’état in 1917. Representatives of the party lay flowers and placed a paper memorial plaque on the building where the defenders made their headquarters. At present, the building is occupied by the Russian military, but in previous years they never opposed this annual action.

It is the first time that such an arrest has taken place during this peaceful memorial action and Mitrokhin has been threatened with long-term imprisonment for alleged violation of several Russian laws. On Saturday, he was taken to the Arbat police department, where police filed the protocol against him under the article of the Administrative Code “disobedience to the lawful demand of a police officer”. He was released after several hours of arrest after the intervention of Andrei Babushkin, famous human rights defender in Russia and member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights.

Liberal International (LI) Vice-President and Chairman of the LI Human Rights Committee Markus Löning expressed regret at the news, commenting: “Liberal International are shocked by the short-time arrest of Sergei Mitrokhin. Mr Mitrokhin was exerting his right to publically commemorate Russian fighters against Bolshevism. As in the past years he was laying flowers as a gesture of recognition.”

“In Liberal International we are pleased that Sergei Mitrokhin has been released in the meantime, but remain deeply worried about investigations and threats to take him to court. Any investigation or court procedure against Mr Mitrokhin must be stopped immediately.”

“Liberals and democrats are under heavy pressure by authorities in Russia. We are calling on the Russian president and Russian authorities to actively protect and defend freedom of expression as is their duty under international law,” he said.

Morten Østergaard, the leader of ALDE Party member party Radikale Venstre expressed his regret at the arrest and called on his Facebook page for Mitrokhin’s immediate release.
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