Press Release, 22.04.2023

Photo: Police accompanies demonstrators at the May Day demonstration in Novosibirsk, 2018 / Photo by the Novosibirsk branch of Yabloko

The Novosibirsk Mayor’s Office informed the regional branch of the Yabloko party about their refusal to give a permission for the declared May Day demonstration.

The Mayor’s Office gave several reasons for their refusal: incorrect, according to the Mayor’s Office, execution of the notice and the fact that the route passes by the buildings of educational institutions and offices of public authorities. Also, Valery Schwarzkopp, Deputy Mayor of Novosibirsk, who signed the refusal, considered it necessary to remind Yabloko of the articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, “according to which public dissemination of knowingly false information about the use of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, as well as public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the armed forces of the Russian Federation in order to protect the interests of the Russian Federation and its citizens, and maintain international peace and security are regarded as criminal offenses”.

It should be noted that in November 2022, State Duma deputies voted to introduce new prohibitions into law regulating holding of rallies and other peaceful public events of citizens. In particular, places where mass gatherings (rallies, marches, demonstrations and pickets) are prohibited now include buildings and adjacent territories of educational and medical organisations, social security institutions, places of worship of religious organisations, railway stations and stations of any type of transport, children’s and sports grounds, offices of public authorities, “as well as territories directly adjacent to such buildings, critical infrastructure, including those that ensure the operation of electrical, thermal, water supply networks, water supply and (or) sewerage networks, and gas supply networks.”

“That is, now it is impossible to hold mass gatherings of residents almost everywhere in the central streets of a city. Although, apparently for fairness’ sake, the legislators still left the opportunity for dissenting citizens to hold a procession or a demonstration in the backyards of the city. But civilians need to bear in mind that “maintaining peace and international security” through such slogans as “For Peace” and “Against the violation of the constitutional rights of citizens in the new law on electronic military draft papers” is now a criminal offense,” runs the Telegram channel of the Novosibirsk branch of Yabloko.

Earlier, the administration of the city of Murino, the Leningrad Region, for the second time, refused the St.Petersburg branch of Yabloko to hold a rally against electronic military draft papers. Yabloko is preparing a lawsuit.