The law enforcement do nothing about it

Press Release, 9.06.2020

Theft of Yabloko’s billboards against Putin’s amendments to the Constitution and a “reset” of his presidential terms has been going on in the city of Korsakov in Sakhalin since 30 May. The billboards ran: “We are for the popular election of mayors” and “We are against the zeroing of the presidential terms under the Constitution”.  The regional branch of the party three times placed the billboards on absolutely legal grounds, but each time they were removed with the help of a truck crane, and the banners were not returned to the party, the regional branch of Yabloko was forced to order a new billboard for each placement.

Passers-by photographed a car with a crane and its registration number, and Anton Gurkin, deputy of the Korsakov City Council from Yabloko, sent a written request to the police to investigate the theft of his property.

The law enforcement promptly ascertained the identity of the owner of the truck crane, but instead of detaining persons suspected of stealing a billboard, inspecting the scene of the incident and ascertaining the circumstances of the crime, they listened to his explanations by phone and did not take any procedural or investigative actions. Anton Gurkin appealed against police inaction to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

It should be noted On March 12, Yabloko held an all-Russian action against Putin’s usurpation of power. In over 50 regions, party activists picketed their legislative assemblies, which were considering Vladimir Putin’s amendments to the Constitution.

Yabloko’s regional MPs introduced to six legislative assemblies a new chapter of the Constitution on the electoral system, political parties and the rights of the opposition, as well as a package of amendments to the Constitution devoted to improving guarantees of human and civil rights and freedoms.

Yabloko proposes reducing the presidential term to four years, limiting the powers of the head of state to the list provided for by the Constitution, introducing the election of members of the Federation Council, empowering the Federation Council to nominate Public Prosecutor General, and giving the State Duma the right to nominate Prime Minister, allow deputies make a vote of no confidence in individual ministers, expand the composition of the Constitutional Court, return the Supreme Arbitration Court, introduce the election of court chairpersons by the judges, expand the right to a jury trial and introduce the election of justices of the peace.

In addition, the party prepared amendments to ban private military organisations in Russia, transfer to the contract principle of formation of the army, expand the rights of the Federal Assembly to formulation of the country’s foreign policy, and recognise torture as a grave crime.

Yabloko’s Federal Political Committee adopted a statement on the principled unacceptability of voting on Putin’s amendments to the Constitution on July 1.