Statement by YABLOKO’s Federal Council, 18.03.2017

The Law enforcement in the Stavropol Territory have been putting pressure on YABLOKO’s activists for years trying to reduce political activity in the region by means of threats and intimidation.

In February 2017 the law enforcement actively hindered the planning of the rally in memory of politician Boris Nemtsov, and YABLOKO’s young activists Kirill Bobro and Anastasia Antonets were among the organisers of the action. The officers of the Federal Security Service (FSB), in particular, informed Anastasia Antonets’ parents that their daughter might face serious problems if she did not give up political activity immediately.

Anastasia Antonets and Kirill Bobro (in the middle)

Police officers also detained the leader of the Stavropol branch of Yabloko Youth Kirill Bobro and the court sentenced him to three days of administrative arrest for organising a one-person picket by the FSB office demanding to stop the persecution of political activists in Stavropol.

On March 16 police searched Kirill Bobro’s flat and discovered two packages with unknown substances. Police filed a criminal case under Part 2 Article 228 of the Russian Criminal Code (illegal storage of narcotic drugs on a large scale). At the moment Kirill is detained and, according to the lawyer, the investigator will apply so that the court adopt restraining order in the form of detention.

We are certain that the case is politically motivated and the unknown substances, presumptively drugs, discovered in Kirill’s flat were planted there, taking into consideration all the circumstances. We claim that the law enforcement representatives summoned him for “conversations” [threatening to fabricate a criminal case again him and send him “behind bars”, if Bobro and Yabloko youth did not stop their political activity in the region] and put pressure on his relatives more than once are actually removing an opponent of the current authorities from the active public and political life of the region creating a climate of fear.

The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO demands to immediately release Kirill Bobro and dismiss the framed-up criminal case against him.

The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO demands from head of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov to bring the FSB officers, who put pressure on opposition representatives in the Stavropol Territory, to responsibility.

The attempts to crack down on public opinion and dispose of political opponents using force lead to radicalisation of the society and degradation of the political culture. Reprisals against the activists in Stavropol must be stopped immediately!

Emilia Slabunova
YABLOKO Chair