Press Release, 20.08.2021

Photo: Natalia Rezontova / Photo by the Press Service of the Nizhny Novgorod branch of Yabloko

The Central Electoral Commission of Russia decided to exclude journalist Natalya Rezontova from the list of candidates to the State Duma from the Yabloko party. The commission made this decision in connection with the alleged involvement of Rezontova in the activities of an extremist organisation.

“In accordance with the decision of the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court of 6 August, 2021, which entered into force, it was confirmed that the candidate Natalya Rezontova had no passive electoral right due to her involvement in the activities of an extremist organisation. This is the basis for her exclusion from the federal list of candidates,” Anton Lopatin, a member of the Central Electoral Commission, said at the commission meeting.

Earlier, Natalya Rezontova was denied registration as a candidate for the State Duma in single-mandate constituency No. 129 (Nizhny Novgorod). The decision of the Electoral Commission of the Nizhny Novgorod region was based on the conclusions of the regional departments of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Departments of the ministries claim that Natalya Rezontova has been allegedly related to extremist organisations and thus cannot participate in the elections.

It should be noted that on 20 August, a court in Kazan recognised Ruslan Zinatullin, a Yabloko candidate for the State Duma, involved in an “extremist” organisation.

The Moscow City Court made a decision to cancel the registration of Lev Shlosberg as a candidate for State Duma in a single-mandate constituency on the administrative claim of Andrei Pangayev, a candidate for State Duma deputy in single-mandate constituency No. 207 from the Green Party.

On August 6, an administrative protocol was drawn up against Alexander Korovainy, a candidate for State Duma from Yabloko, for his deleted video in support of Alexei Navalny.

Viktor Rau, Yabloko’s candidate to the State Duma in the Altai Territory, was removed from the elections for his participation in the January rallies.

Yabloko candidate to the State Duma Anatoly Nogovitsyn was notified  of his involvement in the activities of an “extremist organisation”.