Press Release, August 4, 2013

YABLOKO’s activists and YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin took part in a rally in support of political prisoners which was conducted at Suvorovskaya Square, Moscow on August 4.

Sergei Mitrokhin and Valeri Borshchyov, member of YABLOKO’s Political Committee, human rights advocate

YABLOKO leader called the society to think it over who is to blame for the fact that the amount of political prisoners grows immensely: Is only our government to blame? Or only Putin? Is it only the shameful court? No, dear friends, we must face the truth. We are to blame, too.”

He called to pay attention at what is going on in the regions of Russia and announced the list of activists in the Krasnodar Territory who are being persecuted. “Our colleagues from Cuban asked me to remind you about the existence of political prisoners in Tkachyov’s [governor of the Krasnodar Territory] patrimony”.

“They are Mikhail Savva, human rights advocate, Doctor of Political Science, Professor. The persecuted environment protector Evgeny Vitishko. His colleague Suren Gazaryan who had to migrate. Nikolai Yarst, journalist from Sochi who is under house arrest now and can be imprisoned for ten years because drugs we dumped off in his car. He is being persecuted for his professional activities and especially for the case with the kidnaping of a girl, which the law enforcement agencies refuse to investigate. Pavel Cherevatov, head ob Abinsk human rights centre, veteran of labour, a polar explorer who had a conflict with the local authorities( raised social issues, investigated the wrong pension charging, told about the breaking of the law on the part of the police). He has been persecuted since 2007 and was arrested in 2008. He was beaten in prison several times, fell under punitive psychiatry, was deprived of the lawful right to meet his relatives”, said YABLOKO leader.

“There are so many people like that in Russia and all of them became victims of preferential justice which is familiar to us. Let’s remember them and protect all of them. In this case not only the privileged ones, but all of them will be released. Let’s make the struggle for freedom of political prisoners one of our main activities”, concluded Sergei Mitrokhin.