Press Release, 07.11.2016

On 5 November, activists of the Moscow Youth YABLOKO participated in the All-Russian rally against cruelty to animals organised by the Zoopomosch (Zoo Aid) group for protection of animals. The action as orgnised in protest to abuse of animals that became known after young people in Khabarovsk videoed their torturing and killing animals.

“In the recent years we have been witnessing increased violence against animals in our country. The algorithm is the same: slaughterers video their animal abuse on a camera, spread it in the Internet, and then become protagonists of television shows. They often go unpunished, and do not even feel guilty, they receive the fame they need due to these scandals. I would like to ask a question – why does no one remove such videos? Why such animal slaughterers receive broadcasts on television instead of imprisonment? Why do people who choose to raise their hand to the most defenseless, are not afraid to be punished? The answer is equally simple and terrible – this is because of lawlessness. The present laws are not able to protect those for the sake of whom they have been made. And that is why we demand to toughen the law on protection of animals, introduce new bills, enlist animals in the register and stop spread of the content with violence against animals in the Internet,” said Dmitry Zabelin, Youth Yabloko activist.