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The authorities prohibit YABLOKO’s campaigning in public transport

Press Release
September 17, 2009

Moscow authorities interfere with YABLOKO’s campaigning in public transport.

Moscow Department of Transport and Communication urged the owners of private taxies carrying YABLOKO’s slogans “Protecting Muscovites, Helping Everyone” to dismantle them threatening that taxi owners will have “problems in business”. About 130 taxis with YABLOKO’s slogans have been commuting in the city since September 11, after the taxi owners signed corresponding agreements with YABLOKO.

Also YABLOKO did not manage to conclude and agreement on placing its slogans on the municipal transport (buses, trolley-buses and trams). Mosgortrans (the Moscow City Transport company) which owns the transport means in the city indicated that the Moscow Property Department should give a permit for placing slogans on the municipal transport means. The latter, however, send YABLOKO a bureaucratic note recommending to “work out the issue” with Mosgortrans and also apply to the Interdepartamental Commission for Advertising of the Moscow Government.

YABLOKO had already faced resistance of the Moscow authorities when collecting signatures for registration in the election campaign. The police interfered with collection of signatures arresting activists under a pretext of unsanctioned picketing. After YABLOKO’s registration in the campaign, on September 14, three YABLOKO’s candidates were detained by the police during their meeting with electorate by the Aviamotornaya metro station. YABLOKO’s candidates had to spend about an hour and a half in the police, then the police released them without filing any protocols on their arrest as required by law.

Sergei Mitrokhin, the leader of YABLOKO and its list of candidates, says that the authorities have been attacking YABLOKO as they are afraid of YABLOKO’s deputies in the Moscow City Duma. “They are making everything they can so that to deprive as of any means of campaigning,” Mitrokhin notes.

 

See also:
Moscow City Duma Elections, 2009

Press Release

September 17, 2009