Press Release, 23.07.2020

The management of the Central Kislovodsk military health centre dismissed activist of the Stavropol branch of Yabloko Ronald Ayrapetyan from his job as a waiter in the canteen of the health centre. He was told that “an employee with opposition views cannot work in their canteen” and was offered to write a request of resignation from the position of a waiter.

Ronald Ayrapetyan connects his dismissal with his participation in a single picket against amendments to the Constitution and the reset of Vladimir Putin’s presidential terms.

It should be noted that  that after his single picket Ronald Ayrapetyan received threats from unidentified persons. The activist found a note with threats in his mailbox on July 8. The note ran that if Ronald Ayrapetyan comes out to protest against Putin again, he would go to jail.

It should be noted that Ronald Ayrapetyan was detained by police on June 26, during his single picket (such pickets do not require any permissions from the authorities) with a placard against changing the Constitution and “resetting” the presidential terms. After a “conversation” with threats in the police office he was released without a protocol being drawn up. The police tried to exert pressure on the activist. Vitaly Zubenko, Chairman of the Stavropol branch of Yabloko, filed an application with the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Stavropol Territory about abuse of power by police officers. The leader of the regional branch of the party asked the Public Prosecutor to verify the legality of the detention of Ronald Ayrapetyan.

The Yabloko party conducted a nation-wide campaign against the “reset” of the presidential terms of Vladimir Putin. Yabloko activists faced pressure on behalf of the law enforcement during campaigning.