Hamburgs’ parliament heard report on St.Petersburg elections to local self-government bodies

Press release, October 30, 2009

On October 27, 2009, Galina Mikhalyova, Executive Secretary of the Political Committee of the YABLOKO party made a report on the St.Petersburg elections to local self-government bodies that took place on March 1, 2009, in the regional parliament of Hamburg. The hearings were initiated by the “Alternative List – the Green” faction. The faction together with Christian Democrats forms the ruling coalition in Hamburg’s parliament.

St.Petersburg is a sister-city for St.Petersburg. Both the cities are closely tied via different economic, social and cultural projects. That is why Hamburg’s parliament expressed its concern over the political situation in St.Petersburg.

Moscow pays tribute to the victims of political reprisals

Press release, October 29, 2009

Today on October 29, 2009, on the eve of the Victims of Political Reprisals Memory Day the action Returning of the Names has started in Moscow. Moscovites pay tribute to the victims of the Great Terror by the Solovetsky Stone at Lubyanka Square. The participants of the rally read out loud the lists of the killed with the names, professions and the execution date.

YABLOKO’s leaders deputy head of the Moscow YABLOKO Eugeni Bunimovich, members of Political Council Grigory Yavlinsky, Viktor Sheinis, Sergei Ivanenko and Boris Misnik, leader of the Green Russia faction and member of the Political Committee Alexei Yablokov, members of YABLOKO’s Bureau Valery Borschyov and Valery Goryachev, head of the gender faction Galina Mikhalyova, leaders of the Youth YABLOKO and party activists also participated in the action.

On urgent ratification of Protocol 6 to the European Convention on Human Rights

Statement by the Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO, October 28, 2009

Possible return of the death penalty to Russia’s law enforcement practices is the urgent issue of Russia’s political agenda today.

On April 16, 1997, Russia, within the framework of its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights signed and ratified in 1996, signed Protocol 6 envisaging abolishment of the death penalty in time of peace. Up to now the Protocol has not been ratified by the State Duma (Ed. Russian parliament). Also on February 2, 1999, the Constitutional Court ruled out that the death penalty can not be imposed by [Russia’s] courts until jury courts in which competence lays the imposing of capital punishment are introduced in all the regions of the Russian Federation...

The Bureau of the YABLOKO party considers it necessary that the State Duma should urgently ratify Protocol 6 to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms concerning the abolition of the death penalty.

Liberal Prime Ministers Summit – 2 EU top jobs left: “We want a Liberal”

ELDR, Press release, October 29, 2009

The traditional European Liberal Summit took place today in Brussels in order to discuss a range of strategic issues before the EU summit. “We considered what role we want the head of the European Council to have – commented Annemie Neyts, ELDR Party President - and that is a chairing and coordinating function with the ability to convene additional meetings of the European Council in exceptional circumstances. One of the four top positions should go to the European liberals.”

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The YABLOKO party calls to stop criminal persecutions against human rights activist Oleg Orlov

Statement by the Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO, October 27, 2009

The YABLOKO party calls to stop criminal persecutions against Oleg Orlov, head of the Memorial human rights centre, that was launched on the complaint of President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov. We presume that there are no grounds for opening of a criminal case against Oleg Orlov.

On the opposite, we assess some of the statements made by Ramzan Kadyrov as open pressure on the human rights organisation and a threat against its representatives: President of Chechnya called Memorial an organisation “created for disruption of Russia”, as well as stated that he did not consider Memorial’s staff being patriots of Russia and he even loathed talking to them.

The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO expresses its moral support to Oleg Orlov.

YABLOKO launches “Learn What Happened to Your Vote!” campaign

Press release, October 27, 2009

Today, on October 27, 2009, YABLOKO is launching “Learn What Happened to Your Vote!” campaign. The goal of the campaign is to gather information and analyse the results on every electoral district. These data will allow to annul the results of the election, recount the votes at all electoral districts and further demand that a new election be appointed.

YABLOKO calls all the Muscovites who did not vote for the progovernmental United Russia or took away and destroyed his bulletin or simply abstained from voting to notify YABLOKO by e-mail or by phone...

“Having gathered all this information and comparing it with the official data and the statistical analysis data, we shall be able to access the scope of the fraud and obtain evidence required for recognition of the election void,” runs YABLOKO’s address to the Muscovites published at the Moscow YABLOKO’s web-site.

Five parties should have got places in the Moscow City Duma! The real election results.

Novaya Gazeta, October 24, 2009

Here comes information from the polling stations where Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin and [Mayor of Moscow] Yuri Luzhkov voted:

United Russia — 36,7%; CPRF —28,4%; YABLOKO — 14,9%; Just Russia — 9,2%; LDPR — 6%

What the electoral commissions shall do now?! Internet is full of gags and jokes and this is the evidence of the mental health of the nation. However, jokes end sooner of later. In the end Russia’s future is in stake. The stage of a saving sense of humour will end in a year or two. Then the people will either oust the bosses who lost their honour or vise versa this team will drive the people to a “stall”. The latter is more likely: such people never give up power voluntary, moreover with such a load of unlawful acts on their back...

Congratulations to Russian human rights activists on winning the Sakharov Prize

From Chairman of the YABLOKO party
October 26, 2009
The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO congratulates Ludmila Alexeyeva, Sergei Kovalyov and Oleg Orlov on receiving the Sakharov prize.

It is hard to find more deserving people for this prize. Your names, as well as the names Memorial and the Moscow Helsinki Group have already become symbols associated with fight for human rights, protection of human dignity, for the country respecting its citizens and respected by the citizens.

EU prize highlights Russia murders of rights workers

euobserver.com, October 22, 2009

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Moscow-based NGO Memorial has walked away with the EU's 2009 Sakharov prize for freedom of thought after a bloody year for human rights activists in Russia.

"We hope to contribute to ending the circle of fear and violence surrounding human rights defenders in the Russian Federation," European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek said while announcing the decision on Thursday (22 October).

The Pole and former anti-Communist campaigner added that he felt "personal satisfaction" over the award as "a man who comes from Solidarity and who saw Poland fighting for truth and freedom, which it finally won in the 1980s."

Three Memorial staff, Oleg Orlov, Sergei Kovalev and Lyudmila Alexeyeva, will be invited to collect the prize, which comes with a ˆ50,000 cheque, at the EU parliament on 16 December.

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Moscow’s Carousel Elections

The Moscow Times, October 23, 2009

By Sergei Mitrokhin
Sergei Mitrokhin, who served as a State Duma deputy from 1994 to 2003 and a Moscow City Duma deputy from 2005 to 2009, is chairman of the Yabloko party.

The level of falsifications in the Oct. 11 Moscow City Duma elections was unprecedented in modern Russian history. Officials did everything in their power to prevent opposition candidates from registering, and Yabloko was obstructed by local authorities and siloviki structures as early on as the signature collection stage.

On Oct. 10, the eve of the elections, almost every electoral district had run out of ballots. According to Yabloko representatives, the Strogino election committee handed out a total of only 149 ballots for the entire district. Instead, we witnessed the so-called “carousel” system ­ busloads of passengers who travel from district to district to cast their votes repeatedly.

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YABLOKO demands recounting of the votes at all the electoral districts

Press release, October 23, 2009

16 votes cast for the YABLOKO party were detected during recounting of the votes at polling station No 192.

Boris Moiseyev, member of the Moscow Electoral Commission from the YABLOKO party said that all YABLOKO’s bulletins were found in the pile of bulletins cast for the communist party. Also thee bulletins cast for LDPR and one for the Patriots of Russia were also found in that pile. According to official data, these parties also did not get a single vote at the said polling station.

Court rules out that the results of the voting at the Moscow City Duma election at polling station No 192 are void

Press release, October 22, 2009

The Khamovniki District Moscow Court annulled the decision of the electoral commission of polling station No 192 in Moscow on the results of the voting and obliged the Territorial Electoral Commission of the Khamovniki District to recount the votes.

YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin and his family cast their votes for the YABLOKO party at the said polling station, however, according to the protocol of the electoral commission not a single vote was given for the party at the polling station. Sergei Mitrokhin who participated in the trial earlier today, expressed his hope that “such decisions will be adopted regarding all the polling stations where discrepancies between the official protocols and the protocols handed to observes were found, as well as regarding those polling stations where final protocols were drawn with multiple violations”.

The Sixth Anti-Hatred March to take place in St.Petersburg

Press release, October 22, 2009

The Sixth Anti-Hatred March will take place in St.Petersburg on October 31. Its route lies from Sportivnaya metro station to the Sakharov Square.

Initially the March was planned as tribute to academic and human rights activist Nikolai Giryenko shot by right-wing nationalists on June 19, 2004. Gradually the Anti-Hatred March has been turning into the solidarity day for all people resisting social order based on fear and hatred. Inequality of the rights and discrimination as of social, cultural, national, ethnic, race, religious, gender factors or sexual orientation should be eliminated as contradicting the interests of building a welfare state in the multicultural, multinational and multiconfessional Russia.

Address to President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev

Political Committee of the Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO

October 9, 2009

Translation. Part 1.

Adopted by the Political Committee of the Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO. Resolution No 16 of September 26, 2009.

Respected Dmitry Anatolyevich,

The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO at meeting of its Political Committee taking place on September 26, 2009, adopted a decision to respond to your invitation to a discussion and address you on the problems touched upon in your article “Forward, Russia!” Our view, as well as yours, can not claim being absolutely complete and inarguable, however, our long-term experience make us express our views in an explicit from, probably, partially reiterating what we have been stating earlier.

On non-recognition of the results of the elections of October 11, 2009, and the need to investigate cases of franchise violations

Statement of the Bureau of the Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO, October 19, 2009

Adopted by the party Bureau on October 17, 2009

An obvious fraud of the results of the voting on October 11, 2009, showed to the Russian society and the entire world that the institute of democratic elections was virtually demolished in Russia.

Instead of lawful elections the country saw that the law was defeated by a group of persons who used their administrative and political resource for illegitimate seizure of power.

Total administrative pressure and mass-scale fraud probed and developed during previous election cycles reached unprecedented scope. Violations in Moscow, the Moscow region, Astrakhan and Derbent were particularly mass-scale, open and cynical.

It was the first time that electoral commissions refused to register parties and candidates in the election race, thus restricting the choice for the citizens under insignificant and often completely unlawful cavil. For the first time the capacity of state law-enforcement agencies was used during collection of signatures and campaigning for pressing candidates and observers, moreover representatives of these agencies directly participated in the fraud.

Observers from different political parties at the elections registered about 20 types of grave systematic and mass-scale violations testifying of an overall election fraud.

None of the figures on the votes given for any of the political parties participating in the elections of October 11, 2009, can be recognized as trustworthy.

Electoral Commission steals votes of YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin and his family

Press release, October 16, 2009

The protocol of voting of local electoral commission No 192 of Khamovniki district, Moscow, showed that the electorate did not give a single vote for YABLOKO at the polling station where Sergei Mitrokhin and his family voted. Moreover, the commission reported on the absence of any invalid or spoilt bulletins.

The electoral commission of the polling station gave the breakdown of the total of 1,020 bulletins as follows: United Russia obtained 904 votes, CPRF – 87 votes and Just Russia – 29 votes. In accordance with the protocol, LDPR, Patriots of Russia and YABLOKO did not get a single vote (see a scanned copy of the protocol at our web-site). These data were also registered at the Moscow Electoral Commission web-site.

The signed copy of the protocol which was made available to YABLOKO was printed specially for electronic polling boxes, however, Sergei Mitrokhin and his family put their ballots into a wooden box (see the photograph at our web-site).

“Maybe the heads of this electoral commission intend to show that I do not exist either as a voter or as a citizen,” Sergei Mitrokhin commented on the situation. “I have to disappoint them, YABLOKO does exist and moreover is able to turn to the law-enforcement bodies for punishment of the criminals faking the elections,” he said.

Sergei Mitrokhin also noted that YABLOKO received 18% at the polling station where Prime Minister Vladimir Putin voted. “Naturally, no one dared to falsify anything there, however, these two Moscow districts hardly differ as of the structure of their electorate,” Mitrokhin added.

On Iran’s Nuclear Problem

Resolution by the Political Committee of the YABLOKO party. October 6, 2009

The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO expresses its deep concern in view of the new aggravation of the situation around Iran’s nuclear problem.
A secret construction of the second Iran’s uranium enrichment plant, which the world public has learned about, shows that Teheran continues its course towards challenging the UN, as well as regional and global security. New tests of ballistic missiles, including medium-range Shahab-3, have shifted the crisis into a dangerous phase...

Iran’s procession of nuclear weapons presents considerable threats for the national interests of Russia, the USA, the EU countries and the entire civilised world. Russia can not allow being turned into a target of nuclear blackmail from another neighbouring state...

The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO thinks that it is high time for Russia to take a principled position, stop lulling itself about Iran’s intentions, as well as break Iran’s tactics of playing on discrepancies between the great superpowers and using Russia in its own interests contradicting to the international security goals...

Moscow Regional Elections saw multiple violations

Liberal International. Newsletter No 157, October 16, 2009

The Moscow City Duma elections that took place on 11 October saw multiple violations despite the reports of the Moscow Electoral Commission that “no grave violations” took place. Independent election observers and opposition parties noted the multiple violations such as ballot box stuffing and inhibiting access to polling stations. Sergei Mitrokhin, leader of LI member in Russia, YABLOKO, said: “Stemming from both direct and indirect data, we can say that YABLOKO obtained about 12% of the votes. Fraud took almost two thirds of our votes. Many YABLOKO voters found out that ‘someone' had already voted for them, and they were not allowed to vote. There was an Anti-election propaganda throughout the whole elections and no information on where to vote was available to the public. Russian President Medvedev described the elections as ‘well organized' and ‘in accordance with the law'.”

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Dissenting Opinion of members of the Moscow Electoral Commission from the YABLOKO and the CPRF parties

October 15, 2009

We are expressing our dissenting opinion with the results of the election to the Moscow City Duma in the Moscow electoral district. Multiple violations detected during voting and calculation of the votes make it impossible to assess the results of the election.

The following violations were detected during voting:
- multiple cases of groundless disqualification of members of electoral commissions and groundless exemption of observers representing oppositional parties from the polling stations;
- infringement of candidates’ rights, in particular, ousting them from the polling stations and not letting them to observe calculation of the votes;
- faking of voters’ signatures and unlawful distribution of bulletins;
- “throwing-in” of bulletins, voting by persons not included into the voters lists;
- refusal of electoral commissions to deal with complaints (for example, electoral commissions from polling stations No 40, 123, 127, 291, 487,762, 869, 1306, 1533, 1701, 1919, 1928, 2005);

YABLOKO refuses to recognize the results of the Moscow City Duma election

Press Release, October 14, 2009

Valery Goryachev, member of the Moscow Electoral Commission with a casting vote from the YABLOKO party, refused to recognize the results of the Moscow City Duma election. He and his colleague in the Moscow Electoral Commission Dmitry Yezhevsky (from the CPRF) have been preparing their dissenting opinion to the final protocol they must sign anyway in accordance with the law.

On October 14, the meeting of the Moscow Electoral Commission recognized the Sunday election to the Moscow City Duma and confirmed the results of the voting. Representative from the LDPR party Ivan Petrov refused to sign the final protocol, thus, loosing the right to his dissenting opinion.

According to Goryachev, such non-recognition of the election is conditioned by a “huge number of violations in drawing the results of the voting by the inferior commissions, first of all, by the local commissions at the polling stations.” Goryachev also added that YABLOKO’s observers reported considerable discrepancies between the prime protocols of the local commissions and the final protocol of the Moscow Electoral Commission.

Sergei Mitrokhin about the Moscow City Duma election in his blog

Press Release, October 14, 2009

Leader of the YABLOKO party Sergei Mitrokhin has summed up the results of the Moscow City Duma election in his blog at the Echo Moskvi radio station web-site.

“Proceeding from a number of direct and indirect data, we can say that YABLOKO obtained about 12% of the votes. Fraud bit almost two thirds of our votes,” Mitrokhin writes.

Answering the question “who is to blame for the fraud” YABLOKO’s leader singles out three groups: “the passive protesting majority allowing the authorities to persuade them that ‘everything has been already decided for us’”; propagandists of the elections boycott called ‘a media-Solidarity batch’ by Mitrokhin; and the authorities.

“Our ultra-radicals are even unable to understand that they are helping the authorities to avoid anything resembling an ‘orange revolution’”. As only those who participated in the election go into the streets to protesting against a deceit,” Mitrokhin says.

According to Mitrokhin, YABLOKO will take another way. “If 100% of the citizens come to the elections, they will inevitably sweep away the ballot-riggers either at the election or at the Red Square after the fraud”, runs the blog.

YABLOKO participated in the municipal elections in ten Russia’s regions

Press Release, October 13, 2009

October 11 was a single voting day in many Russian Federation subjects where regional and municipal elections took place. The YABLOKO party participated in the municipal elections in ten Russia’s regions showing very good results in some of the regions.

YABLOKO’s candidate V.Pshenichnikov won (30.37%) at the election of the Polevsky District Duma, Sverdlovsk region. Another party candidate A.Dulenkov came second in the election race to the Council of Deputies in Golitsino, the Moscow region, obtaining 30.36%.

YABLOKO also demonstrated good results at the elections in Ingushetia. About 30% (preliminary results) of the residents in the Bert-Yurt settlement and about 20% in the Ekazhevo settlement voted for the YABLOKO party list. The party was also a success at the municipal election in the Malgobek city.

Member of YABLOKO A.Ledebev came third with 25.78% of the votes at the election to the Council of Deputes of Vlasovskoye, the Leningrad region.

YABLOKO’s candidates came second after United Russia candidates at the elections of heads of rural settlements in Krivandinskoye and Misheronsky rural settlements, Shatura district, the Moscow region.

An illustration of election fraud (Moscow City Duma election, October 11, 2009)

From the Live Journal of Igor Yakovlev, Press Secretary of the YABLOKO party, October 12, 2009

Electoral district No 1702, Danilovsky district, Moscow,

All who has seen election campaigns of the recent years mark an unbelievable scope of fraud at yesterday’s election (Moscow City Duma election on October 11, 2009).

Here comes only one example of election fraud...

United Russia simply “got” 550 additional votes from nowhere. 550 is a beautiful figure.

See the screenshots of the protocols below. The first screenshot represents the protocol of the Moscow Electoral Commission.

The second screenshot is the protocol obtained by the observer.

Violations at the Moscow City Duma elections

ELDR, European Liberal Democrats, October 12, 2009

... The BBC and other international media outlets reported about the concern that such violations of democratic principles happened also elsewhere across Russia.

ELDR supports the strong commitment of its democratic member parties Yabloko and the People’s Democratic Union in their strenuous resistance in defense of transparency and democracy in Russia.
ELDR commits itself for raising European awareness around the democratic character of elections in Russia in general, and in particular in the Moscow city Duma elections in order to examine closer the position of the Russian observers and the unclear results.

At the ELDR Congress in Barcelona on 19 and 20 November, European Liberal Democrats will discuss a resolution on the topic of citizen’s access to the electoral system in Russia.

read more at the ELDR web-site

Violations at the Moscow City Duma elections

Press Release, October 12, 2009

The Moscow Duma elections saw multiple violations despite the reports of the Moscow Electoral Commission that “no grave violations” were registered during this election.

Thus, on the threashold of the election day, the Moscow Electoral Commission had suddenly “run out of absentee voting certificates”. This situation was observed in Otradnoye, Basmanniy, Beskudnikovo, Strogino, Northern Tushino.

On the election day, October 11, observers from the YABLOKO party were not allowed to implement their function. Thus, YABLOKO’s activist Semyon Burd was deported from voting station No 118 (Presnya) by force. The local electoral commission gave Burd its decision prohibiting him to observe the counting of votes. Such a decision was adopted in violation of the Election Code. In Meschansky district YABLOKO’s observers were deported from the voting station under a pretext that the stamps on their documents did not overlap Sergei Mitrokhin’s signature.

An hour before expiration of the time of voting (from 7 to 8 p.m.)YABLOKO received a storm of telephone calls from the worried voters. The voters coming to the voting stations between 7 and 8p.m. found out that “someone” had already voted on their behalf.

Also coaches full of “voters” (the so-called merry-go-round) were commuting from one electoral district to another. The same “passengers” of such coachers voted at several districts several times. Such coaches were observed at Begovaya, Mariyna Roscha, Northern Medvedkovo, Arbat, Presnya and some other districts...

Briefing of the leaders of YABLOKO’s list on the preliminary results of the Moscow City Duma election

Press Release, October 11, 2009

A briefing of the leaders of YABLOKO’s list Sergei Mitrokhin and Eugeni Bunimovich on the preliminary results of the Moscow City Duma election took place in YABLOKO’s head-quarters in Moscow on October 11 at 10-30 p.m.

YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin stressed that in spite of all the difficulties he was satisfied how YABLOKO performed in the election campaign. However, he stressed that he was not going to make any guesses whether the party would get into the Moscow parliament.

“We absolutely don’t know whether we will be able to get in or not, as any elections in Russia represent an equation in two unknowns. One unknown is how the voters may voter, the other – how these votes will be counted. But I am satisfied with our campaign,” Mitrokhin told to Interfax.

He also noted that “elections to the Moscow City Duma are close to the election of a national level, therefore the campaign was very politicized.” “During this campaign we managed to clearly determine our friends and foes,” Mitorkhin said. He stressed that the parties that tried to oust YABLOKO “from the opposition area and become a pseudo-opposition” turned out to be YABLOKO’s foes. “These are Just Russia, part of the Right Course headed by Leonid Gozman, as well as some representatives from the Solidarity movement”.

Mitrokhin also stressed that part of the former Pensioners’ Party which joined YABLOKO creating a faction within the party and Russia’s small-scale business are definitely YABLOKO’s supporters. “This campaign marks our turning to large and potent layers of the society,” Mitrokhin said.

Work of our office on the election day, October 11

Press Release, October 9, 2009

10 a.m. – YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin will vote at the electoral district No 191 (address: Khamovnichesky Val 6)

Whole day – Election headquarters collect information from electoral districts, as well as monitor possible violations. Party lawyers, candidates to deputies of the Moscow City Duma from YABLOKO to inspect electoral districts with alleged violations.

10 p.m. – briefing in YABLOKO’s office, leaders of YABOKO’s election list to report on preliminary results of the election.

Accreditation and information on the election day will be provided at the telephones indicated below:

March in protection of St.Petersburg gathered 3,000 people

Press Release, October 10, 2009

A march in protection of St.Petersburg has taken place today. Over 3,000 people gathered at the square by the Yubileniy sports complex. The square could not even contain all the participants of the rally.

Well-known St.Petersburg citizens spoke at the rally: Mikhail Amosov, one of the leaders fo the YABLOKO party, Alexei Devotshenko, actor, Lev Luryie, historian, Olga Kurnosova, head of the United Civil Front, Yury Mamin, film director, Alexander Kushner, poet, deputies of the Legislative Assemebly Vladimir Dmitriyev and Sergei Malkov (the CPRF), Oleg Nilov and Alexei Kovalyov (Just Russia), Alexander Margolis, co-chair of St.Petersburg VOOOPIK. Musicians Mikhail Borzikin and Mikhail Novitsky.

Collection of signatures under an appeal to the President of Russia was conducted during the rally. Earlier the appeal had been signed by renowned political and public figures. Several thousand signatures were collected in total. However, the collection of signatures will continue.

The key slogans of the march were “Let us preserve the heart of Petersburg”, “Stop Gazprom-City” and “We defended Leningrad during war and shall defend St.Petersburg”.

On the last day of allowed campaigning Muscovites could see YABLOKO’s photo report

Press Release, October 9, 2009

On the last day of allowed campaigning before the voting date, October 11, the YABLOKO party offered to the Muscovites its photo report on the work done by the faction in the Moscow City Duma. Double stands with photographs were put at Chistoprudniy boulevard in the centre of Moscow.

Leaders of YABLOKO’s election list Sergei Mitrokhin, Eugeni Bunimovich, Zoya Shargatova, Alexander Gnezdilov, Valery Borschyov, Andrei Babushkin, Shamil Amirov, Yulia Timakova, Roman Zhigulsky, Sergei Markov and Pavel Gerasimov came to this exhibition so that to answer questions of the electorate. In spite of a heavy rain Muscovites showed interest to the photo stands, talked to YABLOKO’s candidates and took YABLOKO’s leaflets so that to show them to their relatives, neighbours and friends.

Grigory Yavlinsky: Vote for the people you know, people you can turn for help

Grigory Yavlinsky’s interview to the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper, October 8, 2009

Grigory Yavlinsky has been keeping silent for 18 months. He neither gave interviews, nor made prognoses and assessments, however, he did not leave politics. Political scientists and journalists forecasted top posts for him and speculated about his contacts with President Medvedev, discussed prospects of his return to the post of YABLOKO’s leader. But he kept silent.Today MK publishes his first after a long period interview with Grigory Yavlinsky.

MK: A month and a half ago you met with President Medvedev. What were you talking about?

Yavlinsky: We discussed political problems, the economic crisis and the danger of social protests.

MK: And the President invited you so that to discuss their probability?

Yavlinsky: I began the discussion of the protests, as I think this very important. However, I think that the protest will not take shape of mass-scale actions. Now we may face disturbances at the VAZ [automobile] plant, but this is a special story. In fact people in Russia do not protest when they are in dire straits. This takes a different form in our country. Our protest is criminalization of behavioral patterns of the population on a mass-scale level. People do not hope to influence the authorities, and therefore they try to solve their problems as they can – in criminal ways.

MK: And what was President’s reaction in face of such prospects?

Rally in memory of Anna Politkovskaya took place in Moscow

Press Release, October 7, 2009

A rally in memory of Anna Politkovskaya, journalist of the oppositional Novaya Gazeta newspaper, gathered about 300 people in Moscow on October 7.

Dmitry Muratov, Editor-in Chief of Novaya Gazeta, told that Muscovites brought many flowers, books, messages to Anna’s tomb. He also paid tribute to the memory of journalists and human rights activists murdered in the past years, as well as those suffering persecutions from the authorities. “I am absolutely sure, that there will come time, when a monument to Natasha Estemirova will be erected in the centre of Grozny, and a monument to Anna Politkovskaya in Moscow,” he said.

Ludmila Alexeyeva, head of the Moscow Helsinki Group, thanked all who came to the rally to express their tribute to Anna. “As the killers were not found and were not even condemned by those people who are in power now, it is we who condemn them,” she said.

Action in memory of Anna Politkovskaya took place in Murmansk

Press Release, October 8, 2009

On October 7, activists from the Murmansk branch of YABLOKO conducted a picket in protection of independent media and paying tribute to Anna Politkovskaya murdered three years ago. Representatives of Murmansk youth organisations joined YABLOKO in the picket.

However, it was very difficult to obtain a permission on the picket from the local authorities. Several times the police sent notifications that the action can not be allowed referring to the orders of the Mayor of the city and the local interior head. Finally the authorities had to yield to YABLOKO’s demands and gave the permission for the action.

Sverdlovsk Youth YABLOKO conducted an action in protection of the freedom of speech

Press Release, October 7, 2009

On October 7 Sverdlovsk Youth YABLOKO organisation conducted an action in protection of the freedom of speech. A picket under slogan “Silence! Or you’ll be killed?” was conducted by the regional Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Young YABLOKO’s activists informed the citizens of the situation with the freedom of speech in Russia illustrating it with a leaflet “Their words cost their lives” - a sad list of journalists murdered since 1993.

On the anniversary of the tragic death of Anna Politkvskaya the Youth YABLOKO and Ekaterinburg Memorial branch conducted a memory action paying tribute to Anna.

Youth organisation of YABLOKO to conduct actions in memory of Anna Politkovskaya and for protection of freedom of speech

Press Release, October 6, 2009

On October 7, 2009, it will be three years since death of renowned journalist and human rights activist Anna Politkovskaya. Nation-wide actions in memory of Anna Politkovskaya and in protection of freedom of speech will take place on the initiative of the Youth YABLOKO.
YABLOKO’s activists will conduct actions by Public Prosecutor offices in different Russian regions under the slogan “Silence! Or you’ll be killed?” They will distribute leaflets informing on the situation with freedom of speech in Russia and calling to stop and investigate murders of journalists.
Actions in memory of Anna Politkovskaya will take place in different regions. People will light candles and lay flowers to photographs of Anna.

Authorities finally give their permission on the March in Protection of St.Petersburg

Press Release, October 6, 2009

Negotiations on obtaining permission on the March in Protection of St.Petersburg with the St.Petersburg authorities took place on October 6...
The authorities finally gave their permission on the action in the form of a rally (not a demonstration requested by the initiative group) by the Yubileiny Sports Complex (Sportivnaya metro station).
“Obviously, in my opinion, the refusal [of the authorities} to give us a permission on a demonstration is unlawful, however, I think that it is more important to give people a possibility to express their position without fear and police batons,” Maxim Reznik said.
The March in Protection of St.Petersburg will take place as initially planned on October 10 at noon.

Presentation of the book Overcoming Stalin’s Legacy took place in Moscow

Press Release, October 6, 2009

Presentation of the book Overcoming Stalin’s Legacy published by the YABLOKO party took place in the Independent Press Centre on October 5.

Galina Mikhalyova, Executive Secretary of the Political Committee of the party, said opening the presentation, “The book contains an unprecedented for this country resolution of a political party on overcoming of Stalinism, all the discussions and materials we had prepared based not only on Russian, but also on foreign, predominantly German, sources.” Human rights activists also took part in the preparation of this resolution.

Galina Mikhalyova also noted that YABLOKO had already published several books on Stalinism. In 2007 YABLOKO jointly with the Memorial society published the book “1937” to commemorate a sad anniversary of the Great Terror, a CD entitled “Victims of Political Terror in the USSR” containing 2.5 million names of the victims of the regime was published also in 2007.

Press-conference and a march in support of small business to take part in Moscow

Press Release, October 5, 2009

Press-conference “Nightmarising of Small Business Goes will take place in the Rosbalt information centre on October 6 at 2 p.m.
Ilya Khandrikov and Roman Zhigulsky, leaders of the For the Fair Market movement, Tatyana Rtischeva, leader of non-profit partnership Unity for Legal Protection of Small Business, Stanislav Minayev, leader of the initiative group of the businessmen at Tushino, Sergei Vesnov, leader of interregional trade-union of workers of small and medium-scale business Our Right, Vitaliy Dovzhenko, Chair of the Council of Businessmen of Khasanskiy trade complex will participate in the press-conference.
The rally will take place at YABLOKO’s support at Bolotnaya square at 4 p.m. YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin will participate in the rally.

Boris Strugatsky supports YABLOKO at the Moscow City Duma election

Press Release, October 5, 2009

On the threashold of the Moscow City Duma elections that will take place on October 11, Boris Strugatsky, a world famous science fiction writer (Roadside Picnic, Stalker) send a letter to the YABLOKO party with wishes of success.

“These are hard times: hard times for democracy and hard times for YABLOKO. The rating fell, the allies were not allowed to participate [in the election], and you can count only on yourselves and your firm supporters. Now, we have to arm ourselves with patience, set teeth and not to yield. Confidence and firmness will win.

With wishes of confidence, firmness and victory!
Boris Strugatsky,
October 3, 2009”.

YABLOKO gets representation in the Public Chamber of the Kirov Region

Press Release, October 5, 2009

Members of the Public Chamber of the Kirov Region conducted a meeting on the results of the election of the second half of the Chamber...

YABLOKO’s members - Chair of the Soldiers’ Mothers regional organisation Tamara Bratukhina and Director of the Kirov Centre for Non-Profit Organisations Suport Oleg Tkachyov - were elected during this voting. Valery Makarov, YABLOKO’s activist, had been elected earlier. Thus, three members of YABLOKO’s Regional Council in the Kirov Region will work in the regional Public Chamber.

The Pensioners’ Party joined YABLOKO

Press Release, October 3, 2009

The interregional public organisation The Elder Generation (the former Pensioners’ party) joined the YABLOKO party. Such a decision was adopted by at a joint meeting of the YABLOKO’s Bureau and Presidium of the Central Council of the Elder Generation organisation on October 3. YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin and deputy head of the Elder Generation Alexei Borschenko signed an agreement in the presence of the media.

“It is a great honour for us, as well as recognition of our performance in protection of social rights, and in particular pensioners’ rights,” Sergei Mitrokhin told the journalists.

Presentation of the book Overcoming Stalin’s Legacy

Announcement, October 2, 2009

Presentation of the book Overcoming Stalin’s Legacy published by YABLOKO will take place in the Independent Press Centre (Prechistinka 17/9 bldg 1) on Monday, October 5, at 3 p.m.

The book includes the decision of the Political Committee of the Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO on overcoming Stalin’s and Bolsheviks legacy, YABLOKO’s political assessment of the key issues of Russia’s history in the 20th century, as well as substantiates the need of overcoming Stalin’s and Bolshevik’s legacy as one of pre-requisites of modernization of Russia.