Statement by the YABLOKO party, February 24, 2014

The YABLOKO party expresses its protest against a demonstratively horrible sentences to the defendants in the Bolotnaya Rally case, who received from 2.5 to 4 years in a penal colony. The fact that these people have stayed in remand prison for several months already represents unjustified cruelty absolutely inadequate to the charges brought against them, moreover the charges have not been completely proved.

The political essence of what has been happening means that the authorities have been cynically disregarding the civil society, the desire of millions of Russians to live in a modern state with an independent justice, real separation of powers, inviolability of private property and participate in fair elections reflecting the will of the voters.

In 2011 – 2012 Russian citizens engaged in peaceful mass protests because they were outraged by election fraud, theft of votes, gross distortion of their position as expressed in the elections. The state responded to the peaceful protest of the citizens with intimidation, lies, slander and strengthening of the rule of police. This predetermined the developments [during Bolotnaya Square rally] of May 6, 2012

The trial over the participants of that protest action represents an ongoing brazen intimidation of the most active part of the society, all those who are not afraid to loudly express their opinions, who go to opposition rallies and dare to express their dissenting opinion
Under such circumstances it is difficult to expect that the court of a higher instance will cancel the unjust verdict. However, we believe that such a decision [if made] would be to the benefit of Russia and its future.

Sergei Mitrokhin,

YABLOKO Chairman