Press Release, 4.09.2026

Photo: Grigory Grishin and Anna Shatunovskaya-Byurno

Today, 4 September, two Yabloko candidates for the State Duma, Grigory Grishin and Anna Shatunovskaya-Byurno, were detained in Moscow. Both had administrative violation reports filed against them under Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation, on “displaying extremist symbols”. A finding of administrative liability under this article bars a person from standing as a candidate for one year.

Three plainclothes police officers came to the home of Grigory Grishin, the candidate for Leningradsky single-mandate constituency No. 197, in the afternoon and asked him to accompany them to the Akademichesky police station to have an administrative violation report drawn up.

The case was opened over a 2024 post on the politician’s Telegram channel. Grishin was released after the report was drawn up. The hearing on the administrative case is due to take place within two weeks.

Grigory Grishin is Candidate of Philological Sciences, teaches Russian language and literature, works as a documentary filmmaker, and is Deputy Chair of the Moscow Region branch of Yabloko.

That same day, Yabloko’s candidate for Preobrazhensky single-mandate constituency No. 204, lawyer Anna Shatunovskaya-Byurno, was detained as she was leaving home. She was met by two plainclothes men, who showed their identification and told her they were “not detaining” her but had to take her to a police station. The candidate had no opportunity to refuse.

Shatunovskaya-Byurno was taken to the Yakimanka police station, where an administrative violation report was likewise drawn up against her under Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation. She was released after several hours at the police station. The hearing will take place on Tuesday, 8 September. The time and address of the hearing will be announced separately.

Before her detention, Shatunovskaya-Byurno had been on her way to meet residents of Izmailovo district, who had invited the candidate to discuss what they consider to be unlawful development in the area and the environmental problems associated with it.

On 1 September, another Yabloko State Duma candidate, Artyom Snegovsky, standing in Lyublino single-mandate constituency No. 198, was detained in Moscow. A report was filed against him under Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation, on the so-called “discrediting” of the Armed Forces of Russia, over a 2022 post. Snegovsky was released after the report was drawn up.

It should be noted that 14 Yabloko members and activists have previously been found administratively liable under Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation, including party Chairman Nikolai Rybakov and deputies of regional parliaments Alexander Shishlov, Olga Shtannikova, Emilia Slabunova and Artur Gaiduk.