Liberal International, 07.05.2015
Ahead of the visit to Moscow by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Yabloko’s Chairman Sergei Mitrokhin (LI full member) has cautioned of the need for the Russian Federation to engage in a constructive dialogue with the European Union rather than continue on the path of confrontation.

Outlining the steps the EU needs to undertake Mitrokhin said: “The European Union should pay attention to the substantial number of moral, economic and administrative problems. The moral and political negligence in adopting very long-term and sometimes symbolically significant decisions, following the ideas of formal positive law where understanding of the continuity and the perspective are needed, can lead the EU to the loss of an important standing, large internal political and economic imbalances, and will have a negative impact on the world’s politics and economy.”

Mitrokhin stressed that Russia needs to reject its model of authoritarianism and stop spinning into isolation and called for the strengthening of the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary in the country as well as for the introduction of real civil representation.

The party’s Chairman also raised concerns over the detention of Evgeny Vitishko, an environmental activist and member of the YABLOKO party, who was sentenced to three years in prison on ambiguous charges back in 2012. Vitishko has been drawing attention to the facts of violation of the principles on the protection of nature that took place in Russia which is widely believed to be the reason behind the political witchhunt initiated against him. Mitrokhin indicated that the fact that Vitishko is in prison “represents a great and symbolic injustice that must be repaired as soon as possible. He must be released, Russia and international organisations should award him and strongly encourage his […] activities.”

During the LI Conference on Liberalism in Oxford, Yabloko’s founder, Grigory Yavlinksy warned that Russia today is more dangerous than the Soviet Union in light of the increasing totalitarian grip that President Putin and his entourage have on Russian society.

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