Press Release, 5.01.2018

Leninsky District Court of Tambov ruled to award monetary compensation to Yabloko party activists Yana Zenkina and Lyudmila Fomina unlawfully detained for their actions in support of Grigory Yavlinsky on 7 December, 2017.

The Tambov branch of Yabloko joined the All-Russian action in support of Grigory Yavlinsky’s initiative The New Budget Policy. Yana Zenkina, organizer of the action in Tambov and activist of the regional branch, informed the city administration about single-person pickets, despite the fact that the law does not require it.

However, on the second day of the campaign, the law enforcement began to claiming that Yabloko was violating the public order by such pickets. On December 7, the police detained Yabloko’s Lyudmila Fomina for alleged violation of public order. Fomina and Zenkina were detained and transported to the local police station. The policemen neither introduced themselves nor showed any documents as required by law. It turned out that the progovernment’s youth organisation The Young Guard of United Russia (Molodaya Gvardia) acted as witnesses of the alleged “violation of law” by Yabloko activists

Fomina was released five hours later, and Yana Zenkina only the next day. The police tried to exert pressure on Yabloko activists: law enforcement officials were very persistent saying that Yabloko activists should refrain from such actions.

Despite of this, Zenkina and other Yabloko activists continued campaigning. They were supported by the Yabloko party leaders.

Zenkina appealed to the Public Prosecutor’s Office. As a result, there was a trial and the court recognised the two policemen who carried out the detention guilty. The court also ruled out that the detention and arrest of Yabloko propaganda materials were unlawful.

According to Yana Zenkina, now the police will have to pay her and Lyudmila Fomina a small monetary compensation.