Press Release, 29.05.2023

Photo: Nikolai Yegorov with his family / Photo from social media

An investigation against the chairman of the Vologda regional branch of the Yabloko party, Nikolai Yegorov, is underway. The leader of the Bologda Yabloko is charged with “discrediting the army” (Article 280.3, Part 1 of the Criminal Code). According to the Yegorov’s lawyer, an examination of the content of the posts incriminated to Yegorov will be carried out by odious Danila Mikheyev, already widely known for his conclusions on the cases of extremism and “discrediting the army”. The 23-year-old “expert” does not have a profile higher linguistic education, as required by the federal law “On State Forensic Expertise”. In the summer of 2022, the Ministry of Justice, at the request of several lawyers whose clients were accused basing on Mikheyev’s expertise, confirmed that the odious “expert” did not have the necessary qualifications for the expertise.

Meanwhile, the opuses of Danila Mikheyev, criticized by a number of respectable experts, including those accredited by Roskomnadzor, formed the basis for blocking the website of the OVD-Info NGO providing aid to the detained and information for their families, administrative cases against activists Maria Alyokhina, Lucy Stein and Daria Serenko, a criminal sentence of 6.5 years in prison for a Smolensk activist Sergei Komandirov.

The defence of the leader of the Vologda Yabloko filed a motion in court to disqualify Danila Mikheyev as an expert in the case.

It should be noted that on 3 May, Yegorov’s and his daughter’s apartments were searched. Later, the police came to the office of a store owned by the Yegorov family. The politician, his wife and eldest daughter were interrogated.

Nikolai Yegorov already has three fines under the administrative article on “discrediting the army” with fines totaling 110,000 thousand roubles.  His daughter Darya Yegorova also has a fine of 30,000 roubles under Article 20.3.3, Part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. All fines have been paid.

This time the punishment under the criminal article on “discrediting the army” for the leader of the Vologda Yabloko may be wither a fine of up to 300,000 roubles, or forced labour, or imprisonment for up to five years. Previously, similar criminal cases were initiated against Anatoly Nogovitsyn, the leader of the Yakutia branch of Yabloko, and Vladimir Yefimov, Chairman of the Kamchatka branch of Yabloko. In March 2023, the courts fined them 200,000 roubles each. In addition, a criminal case has been opened against a member of Yabloko from Khakassia, journalist Mikhail Afanasyev. He is accused of spreading “fake news” about the army.

Read more about the persecution of Yabloko members after the start of the “special operation”.