Press Release, 29.06.2022

Photo: Viktor Shalyakin after being attacked / Photo by the Novgorod branch of Yabloko

The court of the first instance dismissed the case on the distribution of Yabloko campaign postcards “Ksenia Cherepanova Is for Peace” by Viktor Shalyakin, Chairman of the Novgorod city branch of Yabloko, due to the absence of any corpus delicti.  Ksenia Cherepanova was Yabloko’s candidate at the Novgorod City Duma elections.

Her rival from the pro-goverment LDPR party complained about the allegedly illegal campaigning of Ksenia Cherepanova in the elections. The police zealously took up the case of promotion of postcards instead of a thorough and objective investigation of the criminal case of the attack and beating of Yabloko’s campaigner Viktor Shalyakin.

The trial dragged on for two months, twice the judge issued unjust decisions, which were dismissed by the appellate instance, and the case was returned for a new trial.

When considering the case for the third time, another judge found out that there were irremediable contradictions in the police materials. Thus, police accused Viktor Shalyakin of distributing postcards, but, in fact, he was putting up posters. This was acknowledged in court by the police officer who admitted the mistake.

Three more administrative cases against Viktor Shalyakin (about “fakes”, “discrediting the army” and “insulting Vladimir Putin”), are currently under consideration in the appellate instance.