Application “I Am an Observer” is available for downloading on iPhones
Press Release, February 29, 2012.

Application “I Am an Observer” is available for downloading on iPhones and iPods.

Application “I Am an Observer” is available for downloading on iPhones and iPods from today. The application was developed by the YABLOKO party jointly with the Appsolute company specially for observers and electoral commissions members.

The application contains a simple and clear interface. It contains instructions for observers, references to laws, forms for filing complaints, contact information where to get help, etc.

An authorised observer will receive support from YABLOKO’s "hot line", the Voters’ League and the Rosvybory project...

Sergei Mitrokhin, YABLOKO leader, made a speech in the State Duma
Press Release, February 28, 2012.

Sergei Mitrokhin, YABLOKO leader, believes that lowering of a threashold on the number of party members required for party registration and a ban on electoral blocs will only lead to fragmentation of the political field and mutual alienation of the society and the parliament. He made such a statement in the State Duma today, when Duma was examining the package of President’s draft laws targeted at a political reform. Mitrokhin stressed that the draft laws on political parties and elections of deputies of the State Duma can not be examined separately from each other.

According to Mitrokhin, a ban of electoral blocs will give a “powerful impulse to alienation for the society from the government”, and this on the threashold of a coming political crisis can lead to something more than recent mass-scale rallies. “A huge number of votes will be distributes between small parties and they will not be able to make it into the Duma, thus a significant part of the Russian society will not be represented in the State Duma and will not regard as a body reflecting their interests,” he said...

How I Got Kicked Out of Russia.
The New York Times, February 28, 2012.

...He is standing; I'm seated. With every statement, he lifts off his heels; the man looks down on me with all his arrogance. "Judging by your visa, the stated purpose of your visit in Russia does not match your real activities." "What real activities?" I dare to ask in return.

He fires back, "You are meeting with members of the opposition."

Flummoxed, I'm left speechless for a moment. But I realize he isn’t kidding. Never in 10 years of reporting in post-Soviet Russia — including during the eight years I spent living here and covering the war in Chechnya — have the authorities faulted me for something with such grave consequences. The official says that I’ll have to pay a fine, to be determined by the colonel. My visa will be canceled immediately, and I’ll be given a transit document requiring that I leave the country within three days. Not once is the word "journalist" uttered...

The original publication in the New York Times

Iabloko, le parti russe écarté : "Ce n'est pas sûr que Poutine gagne"
Le nouvel Observateur, 16-02-2012.

...Ivan Bolchakov, membre du conseil fédéral et président de la commission jeunesse au sein de Iabloko, étoile montante du Parti, revient sur les leçons à tirer des manifestations et de cette invalidation à l'approche de l'élection présidentielle du 4 mars.

Rue89 : Début février, des manifestations ont réuni entre 100 000 et 120 000 personnes à Moscou. Qui sont les manifestants ? Quelles sont leurs exigences ?

Ivan Bolchakov : Jusqu'à récemment, ne participaient à la plupart des manifestations que des activistes politiques. Parfois, des groupes de citoyens insatisfaits de la violation de leurs droits – non-paiement des retraites, destruction de parcs [comme la défense de la forêt de Khimki, dans la banlieue de Moscou, face à un projet autoroutier, ndlr], construction illégale de nouveaux quartiers – les rejoignaient...

YABLOKO distributed about 5,000 leaflets among the participants of the Great White Ring action with information on observation of the presidential elections
Press Release, February 26, 2012.

The YABLOKO party supported the Great White Ring action with an automobile race in the inner part of the Garden Ring in Moscow.

Several dozens of vehicles participated in the race. The cars were decorated with stickers "For Fair Elections", white ribbons (a symbol of fight for democracy and free and fair elections) and flags with party symbols.

Party members made several stops during the race so that to distribute leaflets calling the democratic voters to become observers at the forthcoming presidential elections. Trainings for observers are held daily in the YABLOKO headquarters. About 5,000 leaflets were distributed in two hours...

YABLOKO to conduct an auto race to support the Great White Circle action for fair elections
Press Release, February 24, 2012.

The YABLOKO party will support the Great White Circle action with an automobile race in the inner part of the Garden Ring in Moscow. The rally will be held on Sunday, February 26. A column of cars decorated with white ribbons (a symbol of fight for democracy and free and fair elections) and flags with party symbols will start from the party office at Pyatnitskaya Street...

The participants of the race will make stops so that to join the chain of people standing shoulder to shoulder in the Garden Ring protesting against election fraud and curbing of human rights in Russia.

YABLOKO’s activists will also distribute flyers among the participants in the Great White Circle. The flyers call all the democratic voters to become observers at the forthcoming presidential elections. YABLOKO launched trainings for observers on February 20, the trainings will be conducted until March 2...

February 23 is Maxim Petlin's day
February 24, 2012.

Unfortunately we have such a situation in our country when those who defend their Motherland and celebrate their professional holiday on February 23 should be defended from this Motherland.

On February 21 custody for Maxim Petlin, leader of Ekaterinburg YABLOKO, was extended once again.

At present maxim Petlin, MP of Ekaterinburg City Parliament and leader of YABLOKO’s regional branch, is in the hospital of the detention facility. He has a kidney problem. Probably his state deteriorated as he was kept in a prison guards’ cold room which had no heating.

We are wishing Maxim health and strength. We hope and wait that soon Maxim will return to his family and public work. Russia needs such strong and honest people.

Maxim, the Defender of the Motherland holiday of February 23 is your holiday!..

YABLOKO's Federal Council to develop a position on voting at the presidential election of March 4
Press Release, February 22, 2012.

The Federal Council of YABLOKO which has to develop party’s position on voting at the presidential election of March 4, and the political reform announced by the President will take place in the Moscow region on Saturday, March 25.

The Federal Council is a representative body of the party, it comprises 160 members, namely, Chairman of the party, members of the Political Committee, the Bureau, the Audit Commission, party arbitration, heads of regional branches as well as one delegate from each regional organisation and YABLOKO faction elected at their conferences...

Stop persecution of Novaya Gazeta!
Statement by the YABLOKO party, February 22, 2012.

Pressure on the National Reserve Bank financing Novaya Gazeta can not be regarded as accidental.

It is a deliberate political persecution on the threashold of the presidential election of one of the best Russian printed media which has always demonstrated its honest, objective and independent position.

The authorities are mortally scared of the society and of the truth. Therefore, they have launched persecutions against journalism.

We demand to immediately cease persecution of Novaya Gazeta and ensure normal publication of the paper...

Arbeitspapiere und Materialien – Forschungsstelle Osteuropa, Bremen
Nr. 116: Galina Mikhaleva. Das politische Potential der Zivilgesellschaft in Russland während
der Präsidentschaft von Wladimir Putin und Dmitri Medwedew

Das vorliegende Arbeitspapier untersucht die Entwicklung des Bürgerengagements während der beiden
Amtsperioden von Präsident Putin und in der ersten Hälfte der Amtszeit von Präsident Medwedew.
Während unter Putin von nachlassendem Engagement und einer Entpolitisierung der Forderungen
der Bürger gesprochen werden kann, ist seit dem Amtsantritt von Medwedew die Anzahl der Aktionen
gewachsen und das politische Niveau gestiegen. Dies wurde besonders im Jahr 2010 sichtbar, als die
politischen Führungen von der zentralen bis hinunter zur lokalen Ebene gezwungen waren, auf lang
anhaltende breite Bürgerproteste zu reagieren...

Lies and Legitimacy. A programme article by Grigory Yavlinsky

Novaya Gazeta, February 17, 2012.

We are publishing an article by Grigory Yavlinsky which he wrote not in the haste of the election campaign he was not allowed to participate, but almost a year ago.* We consider it a programme article that is why we are publishing it under the rubrics where we publish articles of presidential candidates...

On the creation of a pro-Putin pseudo-green party
Statement by the Green Russia faction of the Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO, February 16, 2012.

On February 12, 2012, Russia's environmental movement The Green decided to once again form an environmental party. Its first public action was the decision to support Vladimir Putin's candidacy at the presidential elections in Russia. Also prior to its self-liquidation this party had already declared its support to Vladimir Putin. This party had also supported the decision to import foreign radioactive waste into Russia. Obviously, the revival of the party is aiming at supporting the government in their fight against ecologists, rather than change of antiecological policies in Russia. The newly released government’s report "On the Situation with Environmental Protection in the Russian Federation in 2010" confirms that the quality of environment in Russia has been deteriorating, and respectful international ratings give Russia one of the lowest ratings in the world as of the trends of its environmental changes...

President Medvedev supported a number of YABLOKO's initiatives
Press Release, February 15, 2012.

A meeting of leaders of registered political parties with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has just finished. The key issue of the meeting was discussion of the political reform. The YABLOKO party was represented by Sergei Mitrokhin, YABLOKO Chairman, and Sergei Ivanenko, Political Committee member.

Sergei Mitrokhin handed to President Medvedev a list of demands put forward by participants of the demonstration and rally of February 4, including the general resolution of the rally, the resolution demanding registration of Grigory Yavlinsky in the presidential election campaign and the list of political prisoners...

YABLOKO begins trainings for election observers
Press Release, February 15, 2012.

The YABLOKO party begins training of observers for presidential and municipal elections in its Moscow office. The first seminar held on Monday evening was held for future trainers of observers. The event was attended by 25 people. They will train observers in Moscow and other regions. From February 20 through to March 2 there will be daily trainings. The trainings start at 19:00 on weekdays and at 15:00 and 18:00 on weekends...

Not only YABLOKO observers but also observers (who will get accreditation from the YABLOKO Rossii newspaper) from other candidates and public projects will be able to participate in the training. YABLOKO co-operates with all public projects for elections monitoring, in particular, YABLOKO will provide them party offices in Moscow and the regions.

Thus, Rosvybory project has begun distribution of its documentation to its observers in YABLOKO’s Moscow office. Observers from Rosvybory receive documents from the headquarters of presidential candidates. (Note for the Rosvybory observers: you should come for the documents only after receipt of a notification that your documents are ready.)

YABLOKO also collaborates with the Voters’ League (Liga Izbiratelei). Reception desks of the Voters League will be opened in YABLOKO’s offices nationwide soon. Volunteers will be able to get their accreditation from the media there after a short training. Collection of observers’ reports within the framework of a joint nationwide project "Final Summarised Protocol" will be also conducted in the same YABLOKO offices.

Despite the fact that candidate from the YABLOKO party at presidential elections Grigory Yavlinsky was not registered as a presidential candidate, the party intends to seriously engage in organisation of elections control. Professionals who trained the party observers who were acknowledged to be most qualified work in YABLOKO, they also helped prepare applications to courts in hundreds of cases of election fraud...

Extradition of writer and journalist Anne Nivat represents probation of a reprisals response on the growth of civil activity
Statement by YABLOKO Chairman. February 15, 2012.

The Federal Migration Service unlawful and insulting actions against Anne Nivat, French journalist and writer, create a dangerous precedent. A journalist implementing her professional duty and never violating Russian laws was put under surveillance and was expelled from the country on political grounds – after she had spoken to the opponents of the present Russian government.

Such actions return us to totalitarian practices, when the state regarded any oppositional activities and contacts with foreign press a direct threat to the state security. This has never happened even in Putin’s Russia. However now we have witnessed an attempt to restore such practices.

We regard this as purposeful actions by the representatives of the state, a reprisals tryout as a response to the civil activity growth. We demand an immediate revision of the decision by the Federal Migration Service on Anne Nivat and offering her an apology at a level of at least a service head. We demand punishment for those responsible for abusive actions against Anne Nivat.
If this is not done, the reprisals tryout will pass successfully into our life.

In support of the Echo Moskvi radio station

Grigory Yavlinsky’s Live Journal, February 14, 2012.

The authorities wish to turn [oppositional] Echo Moskvi [radio station] into an echo of the [pro-governmental] Channel One. Replacements in the Board of Directors of this radio station is a step in this direction. It is a direct state pressure on the media, and not only on Echo Moskvi. This is a warning demonstrating to the Russian citizens what will happen after presidential elections.

This step is made now because the situation in the country and in the society has been changing. It is not surprising that the reaction [of the authorities] is reprisals. The authorities simply have not had any other experience. And we should be ready to such a reaction.

But the key thing in this situation is that the movement that has begun in the society can not be halted by either reprisals or bribing habitual for the authorities...

French Author Says Russia Expelled Her on Political Grounds
The Wall Street Journal, February 13, 2012.

Prominent French journalist and author Anne Nivat said Russian immigration authorities forced her to leave the country where she was working on a book on the current political situation...

Ms. Nivat said she traveled to Russian provincial towns where she was meeting, among others, with members of the opposition. She traveled outside Vladimir to meet with a local official from the Yabloko party.

She said ten minutes after her return to a hotel in Vladimir Friday, the immigration officers showed up at her hotel and took her to their station. “They canceled my one-year multi-entry business visa and gave me a transit visa, according to which I had three days to leave Russia,” she said.

Ms. Nivat said that the officers made clear to her that she had been followed for days—they mentioned her meetings with members of the Communist Party and Yabloko in Petrozavodsk, another provincial town in Russia’s north...

publication in the WSJ

Russian Immigration Officer Sacked after Expelling French Author. The Wall Street Journal, February 14, 2012

Russia expels French journalist 'for talking to foes of Putin'. The Guardian, February 14, 2012

Vladimir Putin shown that there are political prisoners in Russia
Press Release, Photographs, February 13, 2012.

Activists of the Sverdlovsk region branch of the YABLOKO party conducted an action "Putin, look, here are political prisoners…" on Friday, February 10. The activists held a many meters banner in front of the Representation of the President in Ekaterinburg. The banner contained names of political prisoners from the list handed to the current President Dmitry Medvedev.

The action represents a reaction of Vladimir Putin’s statement during his meeting with political scientists when he asked them to show him "at least one political prisoner".

According to YABLOKO activists, the people from the list were convicted with the help of falsified evidence, the actual reason for putting them into prison were their political activities.

Maxim Petlin, leader of the Sverdlovsk branch of YABLOKO, kept in the pre-trial detention prison now is also in the list of such political prisoners.

"Politically we will really unite this year" says Yavlinsky
LI News Bulletin, Issue 269, February 9, 2012

Speaking at a massive opposition rally in Moscow on behalf of Yabloko (LI full-member) Grigory Yavlinsky (LI Prize for Freedom laureate) said "They wish to oust us all from elections. This won't go! This is our right and we are defending the future of our country." His statement comes days after the National Electoral Commission refused Yavlinsky's registration in the upcoming Presidential elections declaring 20% of the collected signatures as allegedly "invalid." Yavlinsky reassured his supporters that the party is going to stay strong and it will continue to fight for a political reform in the country so that moral and ethics are the main force and so that there is no censorship in the mass media. He also stressed that "life does no end on March 4 [the voting day of presidential elections] or March 5. This is only the beginning." The nomination of Yavlinsky had been officially endorsed by Gorbachev while over 2,000 000 Russian citizens gave their signatures in support of Yavlinsky's candidature hoping to have a political alternative.

Grigory Yavlinsky on the decision of the Supreme Court
Grigory Yavlinsky’s Live Journal, February 8, 2012.

...The fact that we demonstrated this nonsense to everyone in Russia was also part of our work.
Once again I would like to thank all of you who participated in the collection of signatures, who helped to collect them and who signed up. Your political position can not be "cancelled", and eventually it is the most important achievement of this campaign for collection of voters’ signatures...

Grigory Yavlinsky: the authorities have confirmed once again that they want uncontested elections
Press Release, February 8, 2012.

Grigory Yavlinsky commenting on the decision of the Supreme Court which upheld the refusal to register him as a candidate for President, once again emphasized that he regarded this decision as political and not anyway related to any litigation or the Central Electoral Commission (CEC).

He emphasized that the court did not question the authenticity of the 1,932,112 signatures that had been found valid by the CEC...

February 8, 2012

Russian liberals and democrats campaign for fair elections
ELDR Press Release, February 8, 2012.

On Saturday, around 120.000 people marched through Moscow and participated in the Rally for fair elections. Supporters of ELDR member YABLOKO held a huge banner “We demand new elections!”

Yabloko founder Grigory Yavlinsky stated: “They wish to oust us all from elections. This won’t go! Together we are defending the future of the country, the Constitution, freedom, life according to the rule of law rather than arbitrary rule. It is important for us and we will never surrender!”

Last week in the European Parliament, ELDR President Sir Graham Watson MEP commented on the decision of the Russian central electoral commission to block Yavlinsky from running as a candidate in the 4 March elections: “It seems to me that this is a politically motivated move.”

YABLOKO won the first case on election fraud

Press Release, February 6, 2012.

The Moscow City Court overruled the decision of Kuntsevsky District Court and declared removal of Aslan Artsuyev, member of electoral commission from the YABLOKO party with a deliberative vote, from polling station No 2451.

Aslan Artsuyev worked at the parliamentary elections and was member of the PEC No 2451 with a deliberative vote, was removed from the polling station 15 minutes before its closure...

Grigory Yavlinsky appealed to the Supreme Court against the decision of the Central Electoral Commission denying him registration in presidential elections

Press Release, February 6, 2012.

On Monday Grigory Yavlinsky, founder of the YABLOKO party, appealed to the Supreme Court against the decision of the Central Electoral Commission denying him registration in presidential elections.

Yavlinsky asked in the appeal to revoke the decision on the denial in registration in the presidential election campaign and oblige the Central Electoral Commission to register him in the campaign.

Grigory Yavlinsky ran in presidential elections twice: in 1996 and 2000. In 1996 he came fourth with 7.34 per cent, and he was third in 2000 with 5.8 per cent. In 2004 and 2008 he did not participate in the presidential elections.

In 2012 he planned to participate in the presidential elections, however, on January 27 the Central Electoral Commission officially denied him the registration...

February 4, 2012

Grigory Yavlinsky "Politically we will really unite this year"

Press Release, Videos, Photographs. February 4, 2012.

...Grigory Yavlinsky, party founder, spoke at the rally on behalf of YABLOKO:

"They wish to oust us all from elections. This won't go! This is our right and we are defending the future of our country.

We have gathered here so that to see that there many of us, that we are not alone, that a friend’s shoulder is by your side. We are different, but we all have three colours in common – the colours of the Russian flag.

All together we are defending the future of the country, the Constitution, freedom, life according to laws rather than arbitrary rule. It is important for us and we will never surrender.

Now the most important thing I would like to tell you is that life does no end on March 4 [the voting day of presidential elections] or March 5. This is only the beginning.

And our opponents and foes will see and realise – may be they realise – soon that it is a beginning for us, and an end for them.

This year we will create thousands of committees for the political reform, join us!

This year we will make them abolish censorship in the mass media.

This year we will make an extremely important thing – politically we will really unite.

We will prove that morals and ethics can be the main force both in politics and in Russia.

We love our country and we will not surrender it to thieves, fascists, Stalinists or other parasites...

Grigory Yavlinsky at the rally For Fair Elections of Feburary 4

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, February 4, 2012.

Except from Russian transcript by Radio Liberty:

14.25. Eugenia Chirikova [ecologist and head of the Movement in Defence of Khimki Forest] proposes to vote for a resolution in support of candidacy of Grigory Yavlinsky on the post of Russian President. “We demand that the decision of the Central Electoral Commission to refuse Grigory Yavlinsky registration in the presidential election campaign should be revoked.” “We demand to immediately register Grigory Yavlinsky candidate on the post of President of Russia.” The rally supports this resolution with a roar of approval.

14.20. The rally greets YABLOKO founder Grigory Yavlinsky with applause. Yavlinsky thanks all for support. “They wish to oust us from elections… This won’t go. We feel a friends’ shoulder. We are different, but we all have three colours in common – the colours of the Russian flag. We defend the future of the country and the Constitution – we defend them by lawful means… Now the most important thing I would like to tell you is that life does no end on March 5 [the day after presidential elections in Russia]. This is only the beginning – for us and it is an end for them… We will prove that politics can be moral… For freedom and justice! For our Russia!”

On a demonstration and a rally on February 4
Press Release, February 3, 2012.

YABLOKO participates in the demonstration and rally For Fair Elections of February 4. The participants should gather at 12:00 at Bolshaya Yakimanka (Oktyabrskaya metro station).

YABLOKO’s activists and supporters form the second column (out of total six). The demonstrators should gather by lamp-posts Nos 4 and 5 (out of total nine numbered lamp posts). You will be able to easily locate YABLOKO column by YABLOKO flags. Also you will be able to find information about the location of the column from activists wearing green YABLOKO uniform jackets.

The demonstration will start at 13:00. The columns will go along Bolshaya Yakimanka and Maliy Kamenniy bridge to Bolotnaya square. The rally at Bolotnaya square will begin at 14:00...

Sergei Mitrokhin will distribute leaflets calling to join the march of February 4
Press Release, February 1, 2012.

On February 2 – 3, on the threashold of the march and rally For Fair Elections, YABLOKO activists will distribute leaflets calling to join the action. Leaflets will be distributed by seven Moscow metro stations.

Tomorrow YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin (who is also member of the organisational committe of the action) will be distributing leaflets by Novokuznetskaya metro station from 3 to 4 p.m.

Picketers will also distribute leaflets by Pushkinskaya, Arbatskaya, Chistiye Prudi, Mayakovskaya, Sretenskiy Bulvar, Tretyakovskaya and Novokuznetskaya metro stations from 4 to 7 p.m.

Also leaflets can be obtained in YABLOKO Moscow office (Pyatnitskaya ulitsa, 31/2 bldg 2) from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m...