Press Release, June 21, 2013

Moscow, 22:10. For the past five hours YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin has been in the office of the “For Human Rights” movement. The Moscow authorities are evicting the human rights organisation from its premises in the center of Moscow.

Police announced that all the people who are at present in the office detained. Sergei Mitrokhin, MP Ilya Ponomaryov, Irina Vihrova, representative of Russia’s Ombudsman, Lev Ponomaryov, head of the organisation and all the staff of the movement are detained. None of the detainees is let out of the office, including toilets.

Alexander Muzykantsky, Moscow Ombudsman, also arrived at the site.

Lawyers Nikolai Polozov and Violetta Volkova also came to the building in the Maly Kislovsky Lane, but despite Mitorkhin’s demand the lawyers were not allowed into the building.

Representatives of the owner of the building took away Sergei Mitrokhin’s iPad because he photographed them. Policemen saw this robbery, but no action was taken. At present Sergei Mitrokhin writes a statement on a robbery to the head of the district police station.

A correspondent from the pro-governments NTV television company reported to the police that Mitrokhin was an accomplice in a crime – a female employee of the Human Rights Center has tried to resist the attack from the journalist.

A man called Alexander Verigin, has been directing the police actions. Verigin stated that he was representing the owner of the building. However, he refused to tell anything about his post.

Also a police officer has just told that a riot police ready to attack the office.