Press Release, 30.08.2023

Photo: Vasily Neustroyev / Photo by the St.Petersburg branch of Yabloko

On 31 August, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow will conduct a hearing on extending the measure of restraint for the Chairman of the Frunzensky local branch of Yabloko in St. Petersburg, Vasily Neustroyev.  The hearing will begin at 11:30. The address of the Basmanny Court: Kalanchevskaya 11, Moscow. The hearing is likely to be closed, however, those wishing to support Vasil Neustroyev may be allowed to the start of the hearing and the announcement of the decision.

It should be noted that the Chairman of the Frunzensky local branch of the St. Petersburg Yabloko, Vasily Neustroyev, is charged under six criminal articles at once:

– Article 207.3, Part 2, items “b” and “e” (“public dissemination of deliberately false information about the use of armed forces” by a group of persons motivated by political hatred – up to ten years in prison);

– Article 212, Part 1.1  (“involvement in the organisation of mass riots” – up to ten years in prison);

– Article 239, Part 2 (“establishment of an NGO that infringes on the personality and rights of citizens” – up to six years in prison);

– Article 280.4, Part 3 (“public calls for activities directed against the security of the Russian Federation” committed by an organised group – up to seven years in prison);

– Article 282.1, Part 1 (“establishment of an extremist community” – up to ten years in prison);

– Article 354.1, Part 4 (“rehabilitation of Nazism” by prior conspiracy – up to five years in prison).

At the same time, Vasily Neustroyev has nothing to do with the Vesna (Spring) movement and has never been a member of it.

On 6 June, 2023, Neustroyev’s apartment in St. Petersburg was searched. On the same day, he was taken to Moscow for interrogation at the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia.

Read more about persecution of Yabloko members:

https://www.yabloko.ru/war-against-yabloko