Police are trying to disrupt the meeting of Sergei Mitrokhin and YABLOKO’s candidates for the forthcoming elections with the residents of Ilsky village

Press Release, September 28, 2012.

A meeting of YABLOKO’s candidates to run in the regional and local elections (the voting day on October 14) with the residents of the Ilsky village, the Krasnodar Territory, is taking place now. According to YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin, provocateurs from the local administration and the police are trying to disrupt the meeting.

The main issue of the meeting is the discussion of the situation around environmentally unfriendly Ilsky refinery, which is a factor of serious pollution in the area. Expansion of the plant and violation of environmental standards have led to a sharp increase of morbidity in the area and growth of the death rate. All this provokes fair indignation of the local population. The residents of the area demand that unlawful expansion of refinery should be stopped.

YABLOKO candidate Murad Nurmuradov severely beaten in attack
LI News Bulletin, Issue 302, September 27, 2012
Russian lawyer and liberal candidate Murad Nurmuradov was badly attacked in the city of Tver on 25 September. Nurmuradov is one of the top figures on the YABLOKO (Russian United Democratic Party, LI full member) list of candidates for elections to the Tver City Duma. According to reports, two unidentified men in masks and camouflage uniforms entered Nurmuradov's office and attacked him. This has led to Nurmuradov being hospitalized with a broken arm and other multiple injuries, including to his head. In a statement Sergei Mitrokhin, YABLOKO chair and opposition member of the Moscow City Duma, said: “Members of the Tver branch of YABLOKO do not rule out the political causes of the case — an attack against a principled lawyer attorney and increasingly popular politician. An open attack against a registered candidate is a challenge to the city and its residents. We demand a thoroughly investigation of this case by the law enforcement. The goal of the crime was clearly intimidation. But they will not scare us!”

MORE

Nick Clegg: “We’re at our best as a nation when we’re open”
FNF publish influential Economic Freedom of the World report
Senator Eggleton speaks on sustainability and urban issues
Dr. Chee raises target of $30,000 in record time
"Liberal Belarus" programme draws praise from European liberals
UN: Cambodia to become a “real liberal democracy”

State Duma Commission to conduct investigation on deputies’ commercial activities on Sergei Mitrokhin’s inquiry

Press Release, September 27, 2012.

Today, the State Duma Commission on the audit on the data submitted by MPs on their incomes and property will consider the case of five more Duma deputies on the inquiry of YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin. The audit will be conducted on the cases of four United Russia MPs: Andrei Skotch, Vasily Tolstopyatov, Grigory Anikeyev, Airat Khairullin and LDPR’s Vladimir Semyonov...

It would be more difficult of the Duma to apply double standards in dealing with these cases. "If the Investigative Committee conducts a careful investigation, than the circumstances of violations demonstrated by the United Russia deputies will not differ from the “Gudkov case” at all,” Mitrokhin said.

The Commission will consider the cases of nine deputies. Five cases will be considered dealing with Mitrokhin’s inquiry and four more cases (of "United Russia" MPs Yelena Nikolayeva, Alexei Knyshev, Vladimir Pekhtin and Ilya Kostunov) will be considered for on Sergei Mironov’s inquiry.
The Commission meeting is scheduled for 13:30, it will be held in camera.

YABLOKO candidate to run in the elections in Tver severely beaten

Press Release, September 26, 2012.

On September 25, 2012, Murad Nurmuradov, a lawyer and one of the top figures in YABLOKO’s list of candidates for elections to the Tver City Duma was attacked in Tver.

Two unidentified men in masks and camouflage uniforms entered Nurmuradov’s office and severely beaten him. Nurmuradov was hospitalized with a head injury, broken arm and other multiple injuries.

According to the results of the audits conducted by Nurmuradov in seven municipal companies, all seven directors of these companies were dismissed and personnel changes in the Tver city administration were underway...

Opposition forces united so that to fight election fraud in the Yeisk district, Krasnodar Territory

Press service of the Krasnodar YABLOKO, September 25, 2012.

Candidates from the opposition parties who will run in the elections to the Legislative Assembly of the Krasnodar Territory and Municipal Council of the Yeisk District created a joint Coordinating Council for counteraction to violations in elections.

Total defiance of the law and constitutional rights and liberties of the citizens has turned into everyday practices in Russia. The authorities in Yeisk have already tried to prevent the candidates from the opposition from campaigning. The opposition parties decided to join their efforts in the fight against election fraud and created a Single Centre for Response to Violations at elections.

On September 23, YABLOKO initiated a meeting of the opposition. The meeting was attended by the candidates from the YABLOKO party, the Communist Party, the Just Russia party, and independent candidates.

The meeting established a Coordinating Council which should get all information on violations in campaigning and voting and make decisions on counteracting these violations. Also it was decided that a joint training of election observers should be held, and feed-back with members of electoral commissions should be established...

Dutch parliament elects new President
ELDR News, September 26, 2012.

On Tuesday, Dutch liberal MP Anouchka van Miltenburg was elected as the new President of the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch Parliament. Before, Van Miltenburg was Deputy leader of the VVD parliamentary group. Two other candidates stood in the election, Khadija Arib (Social Democrats) and Gerard Schouw (ELDR member D66).

VVD Group Leader Stef Blok welcomed her election: "We're proud Anouchka won the election. The Parliament will have a tough, fair and cheerful chairwoman. I wish her all the best."

The State Duma once again demonstrated double standards

Press Release, September 20, 2012.

...The Commission did not find “any grounds for launching an investigation” on the four deputies. However, YABLOKO had laid claims to three of the MPs – Demchenko, Reznik and Lebedev – the same as the claims laid by the Duma to oppositional MP Gennady Gudkov.

“The Duma decided that MPs can set up new businesses during their term, however, they are not allowed to change directors of these companies (Ed. Gennady Gudkov was deprived of his mandate exactly for voting for a new director of a company set up before his term of office). This is a clear manifestation of double standards,” Mitrokhin noted...

...An inquiry on Adrei Skotch was filed in July 2012. A person from the Forbes list did not possess any property or income as of his official income statement. Skotch explained this discrepancy between the declared and the real property by transferring his business to his father. He also added that he lived as a dependant of his father. YABLOKO insisted that Skotch had to declare the assets allocated to him by his father.

Organisational Committee “Democratic Petersburg” created a permanent democratic coalition

Press Release, September 19, 2012.

Coalition "Democratic Petersburg" will coordinate and conduct mass-scale public actions of the democratic forces, as well as other events. In the near future the coalition plans to organise the traditional "March Against Hatred" which normally takes place in late October. In addition, the coalition will support the initiatives and projects of its member organisations.

Also the coalition will continue collection of signatures for per-term elections to the State Duma and the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg. This work began at the rally on Saturday.

The coalition adopted a special statement on the Democratic March and a rally that took place on Saturday, September 15...

EP takes steps towards concrete actions on human rights abuses in Russia
Press Release, ALDE, September 20, 2012

Kristina Ojuland, ALDE Spokesperson on Russia and the rapporteur on ‘Magnitsky Law’ for the European Parliament welcomed broad support from the Foreign Affairs Committee this morning for her report recommending to the Council establishing common visa restrictions for Russian officials involved in the Sergei Magnitsky case. This report will now come before the whole European Parliament for vote in October...

Putin's majority rids Duma of any credibility
Press Release, ALDE, September 14, 2012

Guy Verhofstadt: "Today's dismisal of Gennady Gudkov, Member of the State Duma for Just Russia opposition party demonstrates clearly that in Putin's Russia there is no space for dissent and opposition. Putin's majority in the Duma appears to be there for rubberstamping decrees. That is not in accordance with the norms of a Council of Europe member state"...

Mitrokhin questions the legal basis for depriving Gennady Gudkov of his mandate while saying nothing about 29 MPs running businesses

Press Release, September 5, 2012.

..."The authorities accuse Gennady Gudkov of acquiring a business when he was an MP. They say that an MP can not be represented on the board of a commercial organization. However, if one gets a share in a open liability company, he or she can not avoid it, - Mitrokhin wrote in his blog. - If an MP has run such a business for a long time, and he promptly gave it in trust, than [head of Russian Investigation Committee] Bastrykin considers that such a person has not violated the law”.

"I think that such an interpretation of the law seems too broad. Perhaps it would be wise to clarify the requirements of the law first, and after punish deputies. But one thing is clear: if Gudkov is deprived of his mandate, than United Russia MPs must follow. Otherwise it is a selective enforcement of the law, " Mitrokhin concluded.

Grigory Yavlinsky: A clue to changing the country is "not to lie and not to steal"

Russia-1 TV channel, September 10, 2012.

...Solovyov: Grigory Alexeyevich, we have been actively discussing the beginning of the political season here. What is your forecast for this autumn - what issues will be most important...?

Yavlinsky: ... But speaking about the forecast, it is, unfortunately, not very difficult. What forecast can be given, if it is obvious that laws in the country function very relatively? That court is not independent. That property rights depend on the power and the power and property have merged into one entity.

But more than that, what forecast can be made, if a dramatic decline of culture, political culture and general culture, in the country has become an absolute fact?

And it is reflected, for example, in the structure of [Russia’s] budget. Simply look how much is allotted on education and how much on health care and the development of the country, and how much on other directions... Well, what forecast can you make proceeding from this? Maybe only for the next two months?

These are strategic issues.

Solovyov: Does this mean that you see the coming disaster?

Yavlinsky: I would say it is a disaster, but large hardships are definitely ahead...

ALDE congratulates both Dutch liberal parties on election results
Press Release, ALDE, September 13, 2012

Guy VERHOFSTADT, leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in the European Parliament, congratulates VVD-leader Mark Rutte, who again won the Dutch elections last night and D66-leader Alexander Pechtold, after an election campaign in which Europe played a leading role. "I warmly congratulate Mark Rutte on achieving the best ever results for the VVD and Alexander Pechtold on increasing the number of seats for D66 for the fifth time in a row.
I am looking forward to continue working with them in the months and years ahead"...

A leader of public movement against the construction of the Kudepstinskaya thermal plant dies under unclear circumstances

Press Release, September 12, 2012.

YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin expressed condolences to the family and friends of Anatoly Makhnovsky, Chairman of the Territorial Council of local self-government for Kudepsta residential district, who suddenly died yesterday.

Makhnovsky, aged 70, died on September 11 about 1 p.m. under unclear circumstances.

According to one of the versions, he was talking to a local woman at a bus stop, stumbled, fell down, hit his head and died. However, there is additional information: two police officers were standing next to him and their role was unclear. Moreover, a folder with documents on the disputed Kudepstinskaya thermal plant he had with him during the accident suddenly disappeared.

It is not ruled out that Makhnovsky’s death was connected with his fight against the construction of the Kudepstinskaya thermal plant...

YABLOKO to control and monitor elections to the Penza Legislative Assembly together with the Civil Control movement

Press Release, September 10, 2012.

The Penza regional branch of YABLOKO and the Civil Control movement signed an agreement on the joint organization of civil control over voting and counting of votes in the elections to the Legislative Assembly of the Penza region.

According to Olga Sorokina, Deputy Chair of the Penza branch of YABLOKO, "The tasks of the party during the pre-election period and the elections coincide with the aims of the Civil Control movement, and we will definitely involve members and supporters of the party, especially its young members and public activists to the civil control over elections and counting of votes"...

Over 500 people participated in a rally against Kudepstinskaya heat power plant

Press Release, September 10, 2012.

On September 9, a rally against construction of a thermal power plant in Kudepsta near Sochi brought together over 500 residents of Sochi. YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin asked the developer to submit the permission documentation.

Local residents oppose the construction of environmentally hazardous industrial facilities, the operation of which will result in air pollution, noise and other factors posing a serious threat to the health of tens of thousands of residents and holiday-makers in Sochi. Sochi administration and the Olympstroy company plan to locate the thermal plant in the centre of a densely populated resort area...

Grigory Yavlinsky wants independent television channel Dozhd to come to St. Petersburg

Press Release, September 7, 2012.

Grigory Yavlinsky, leader of the Yabloko faction in the St. Petersburg’s parliament, proposed to the largest cable operator in the city to include television channel Dozhd (Rain) into the basic package of TV channels offered to braod public.

Grigory Yavlinsky expressed his certainty that St.Petersburg viewers would be interested in receiving honest news and discussion programmes, as well as live broadcasts by the channel, such as had been done by Dozhd from winter and spring mass-scale rallies in Moscow and on the flooding in South Russia.

YABLOKO leader also added that audience would be interested in the views of the leading journalists of the Dozhd channel, including Leonid Parfyonov, Pavel Lobkov, Mikhail Kozyrev, Mikhail Fishman, Mikhail Zygar and Ksenia Sobchak...

Sergei Mitrokhin fined for talking to bloggers and journalists

Press Release, September 7, 2012.

Olga Zatomskaya, Judge of a Moscow court of the first instance, imposed a RUR 2,000 fine of YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin for his talking to journalists and bloggers during the protest action of June 6. The court's decision bases on a false testimony of witnesses and police. The party intends to appeal against this decision...

YABLOKO presented its publications at the 25th Moscow International Book Fair

Press Release, September 5, 2012.

The YABLOKO party presented its publications at the 25th Moscow International Book Fair, which opened today at the Exhibition Centre.

Irina Kopkina, Deputy Chair of the Moscow branch of YABLOKO, noted that “there is no other party which would publish annually dozens of new books, research papers and useful booklets”...

YABLOKO to present its publications at the Moscow International Book Fair

Press Release, September 4, 2012.

YABLOKO will present its publications at the 25th Moscow International Book Fair which will take place on September 5 – 10 at the Exhibition Centre.
On the opening day, September 5, YABLOKO’s authors will present their books in Hall 75 "A" (reception hall). The presentation will be attended by the party Chairman Sergei Mitrokhin, Bureau members Andrei Babushkin, human rights activist, and Galina Mikhalyova, Gender faction leader, and Tatyana Ovcharenko, head of the Party School of Active Citizen. The presentation will begin at 13:00. The visitors of the Fair can get YABLOKO’s books at stand E70 Hall "A" any day.

Lists of municipal candidates from “YABLOKO – United Democrats” submitted to electoral commissions of the Tver region

Press Release, September 3, 2012.

Local electoral commissions of the Tver region confirmed the receipt of lists of municipal candidates from “YABLOKO – United Democrats”. The candidates from the bloc will run in the elections to the City Duma of Vishny Volochok city and the Legislative Assembly of Udomelsky District.

In Vishny Volochok the party lost is topped by Vladimir Tarasov, ex head of a poultry farm. Tarasov is well-know in the city as a professional in farming and also in the utilities sector.

Other candidates also represent small businesses. Young people under 35 constitute 75 per cent of the list which is regarded as a competitive advantage by the “YABLOKO – United Democrats” bloc...

YABLOKO’s candidates have to compete against their namesakes at Yeisk elections

Press Release, September 1, 2012.

YABLOKO’s candidates Alexander and Ekaterina Baturinets have to face an new obstacle in running in the elections in Yeisk, the Krasnodar region. They have to compete against their namesakes (a guard and a shop assistant residing in a different district) at the Yeisk elections.

The election campaign to the Legislative Assembly of the Krasnodar region is in full swing - the elections will take place on October 14. The regional authorities have been closely observing campaigning by the candidates from the opposition - the electoral bloc "YABLOKO - United Democrats". Representatives of YABLOKO, the Republican Party of Russia (PARNAS), the Democratic Choice, Solidarnost, and a large number of non-partisan civil society activists and oppositional public figures are on the list of candidates from the bloc. The authorities have begun employing a variety of political strategies to prevent the oppositional candidates from running in the elections.
Alexander Baturinets from Yeisk is one of the strongest candidates from the "YABLOKO - United Democrats" bloc. He is known for the public campaign "Public Protest: for Yeisk without Oil Terminals". He is also a deputy in the Yeisk District Council. Baturinets has been named a leader of the race by public opinion polls being ahead of a candidate from the ruling United Russia by several per cent...

Organisational Committee "Democratic Petersburg" applies for the "March of Millions"

Press Service of St. Petersburg YABLOKO, August 31, 2012.

On August 31, on the first day of submitting an application in accordance with the law, the Organisational Committee "Democratic Petersburg" applied for conducting of the "March of Millions" on September 15. The public action will consist of a demonstration (a march) and a rally. The march will begin at 1 p.m., a rally will be held at 2 p.m. The exact route of the procession and a place for the rally will be announced later after obtaining an approval from the city administration.

The demands and slogans of the "March of Millions" in St. Petersburg will be as follows: change of the present political regime, fair elections, protection of human rights, provision of real social equality and protection of historical part of the city. The organizers expect that the number of participants in the march will amount to about five thousand people.

The Organisational Committee "Democratic Petersburg" was created on August 28 and comprises representatives from political parties, social, human rights and political organisations, YABLOKO, the Republican Party of Russia – PARNAS, the Christian Democrats, the Libertarian Party, the Russian Socialist Movement, the People's Labour Union of Russian Solidarists, the Russian Social Democratic Union of the Youth, Student Action, Vikhod (Exit), the LGBT Initiative, the Women Voters League, Youth Human Rights Group and the Alliance of Heterosexuals for the Equality for LGBT...

Electoral Commission of the Penza region registered YABLOKO’s list of candidates to run in the elections to the regional Legislative Assembly

Press Release, August 31, 2012.

On August 28 the Electoral Commission of the Penza region registered YABLOKO’s list of candidates to run in the elections to the regional Legislative Assembly.

YABLOKO’s list contains 22 candidates. It is topped by Sergei Oleinik, President of the non-profit foundation AntiSPID (AntiAIDS). Other top candidates are Sergei Illiyev, deputy of local self-government, and Yuri Voblikov, human rights activists.

The elections to the Legislative Assembly of the Penza region will take place on October 14, 18 regional deputies will be elected according to the parties lists.