Press release,12.05.2016

On 16 May, YABLOKO will conduct a street action in support of Svetlana Chechil, member of the party Federal Council.

The Petrozavodsk City Court sentenced her to 1.5 years in a penal colony under Article 286 Part 1 of the Criminal Code (abuse of authority). Chechil will spent her birthday, 15th May, in a pretrial detention centre.

YABLOKO claims that criminal persecution of Svetlana Chechil, former head of the Administration of Prionezhsky municipal district, Karelia, is groundless, absurd and politically motivated.

Chechil’s relatives and friends will conduct one-person pickets in Petrozavodsk to support her and show the judges and authorities their attitude to the lawlessness in the Republic. YABLOKO will also conduct one-person pickets in 27 regions of Russia including the Voronezh, Tambov, Vladimir, Ivanovo, Moscow regions and the others.

The participants of the action will hold placards “Svetlana Chechil is a new political victim of Karelia”, “Stop reprisals in Karelia! Khudilainen must resign!” and “No reprisals in Karelia”.

On 27 April, Svetlana Chechil was arrested in the courtroom and sent to the pretrial detention centre.

The criminal case against Chechil was filed right after the elections of 2013, on the eve of the election Governor of Karelia Alexander Khudilainen had warned Svetlana Chechil that she would have to talk to the investigator soon. Earlier First Deputy Governor Oleg Gromov hinted Chechil at the possible consequences of her political disobedience.

During 2013-2015 a large number of criminal cases were filed against the members of YABLOKO’s team: Deputy Mayor of Petrozavodsk Evgenia Sukhorukova, deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Karelia Anastasia Kravchuk, leader of the regional YABLOKO branch Vasily Popov, Chair of the army veterans council of the city Galina Karasova, deputy of Petrozavodsk City Council Olga Zaletskaya and other party members. The elected mayor of Petrozavodsk Galina Shirshina was illegally ousted from her position. YABLOKO calls Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika to stop political persecution of YABLOKO members in Karelia.

In Moscow the action will take place by the Supreme Court at 3 p.m.