Press Release, 31.08.2023

Photo: Valery Kochnev /Photo from social networks

On 29 August, an administrative report on the demonstration of extremist symbols was drawn up against surgeon Valery Kochnev, who is a Yabloko candidate for the City Duma of Novgorod. A day earlier, Kochnev learned from a summon to the police that a swastika had been found on his Vkontakte page.

As it turned out during drawing up of the protocol, the police saw a violation of the law in the publication of a video clip for the song “Zombie” by the Cranberries group. The video, which was published on Valery Kochnev’s page in 2021, used footage from the documentaries back to the Nazi Germany period.

“As a person who went through the war and has been saving lives, I condemn the fascist ideology and am an ardent anti-fascist,” Kochnev wrote in his explanation.

The punishment under Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses implies a fine of up to 20,000 roubles or an arrest for up to 15 days. In addition, those found guilty under this article are deprived of their passive suffrage for a year (and thus, cannot be elected).

It should be noted that at least eight candidates from Yabloko, including Andrei Morev, the former head of the Yakimanka district, whose evidence of guilt was falsified, were removed under the same article from the municipal elections in Moscow in 2021.

Three more top Yabloko candidates in the elections in Novgorod were summoned to the police: the Chair and current deputy of the City Duma Anna Cherepanova, the leader of the local Yabloko branch in Novgorod Viktor Shalyakin and candidate Oksana Sergeyeva. It is yet unclear what exactly Cherepanova and Shalyakin are charged with. Oksana Sergeyeva, like Valery Kochnev, is charged with displaying extremist symbols.

Read more about persecution of Yabloko members since the start of the special military operation