Activist
of the Youth YABLOKO Vladimir Volkov was detained for 48 hours
of arson of the United Russia office in Penza. Earlier his
flat had been searched.
Today on November 17, 2009, at 9.00 a.m. several persons
who told that they were interior officers came to Volkov’s
flat where he lives with his parents. They asked Volkov to
come with them, explaining that his lawyer could come to the
interior department where they all would “talk”.
However, until 2 p.m. neither his parents, nor the lawyer,
nor even investigator Ye.Pluzhnikova had no information where
Volkov was.
On the lawyer’s request Public Prosecutor of the Linisky
district of Penza called all the police departments, all anti-extremist
departments of the interior and the local Federal Security
Service department. However, all of them reported that they
had not detained Volkov.
At 2 p.m. investigator Pluzhnikova called the lawyer and
told that she was interrogating Volkov. Later it came out
that Volkov was detained on suspicion of arson in the United
Russia office in Penza, the investigator also planned to detain
Volkov for 48 hours.
The arson in the Penza office of the United Russia party
took place on November 8. Unknown persons threw a petrol bomb
into the office window.
These events led to political reprisals and mobbing of oppositional
parties and activists by the United Russia party at participation
of the interior.
At night on the 8th of October unlawful searches in the homes
of YABLOKO members and allies took place. Seven activists
were victims of lawlessness. Notebooks, party and publicistic
materials, other things having no relation to the arson were
confiscated.
On November 8, the YABLOKO party refuted all the suspicions
of its members in the arson assessing the statements of the
United Russia leaders and the actions of the interior as “persecution
of the dissenting and intimidation of politically active citizens”.
The YABLOKO party demanded from Public Prosecutor General
and the Interior Ministry to stop reprisals against the activists
and launch investigation of unlawful actions of the interior.
See also:
On provocation of
the United Russia against YABLOKO’s activists. Statement of
the Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO. November 12,
2009
Human
Rights
YABLOKO Against Extremism
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