Press Release, 28.04.2016

On 27 April, Petrozavodsk City Court sentenced Svetlana Chechil, member of YABLOKO’s Federal Council, to 1.5 years in a penal colony. Today, YABLOKO will hold pickets by the Public Prosecutor General’s Office protesting against such a decision. Nikolay Rybakov, Deputy Chairman of the party, and Galina Mikhaleva, Deputy Chair of the Moscow branch of YABLOKO will participate in the action.
“What is happening in Karelia, reprisals against activists of the YABLOKO party, of which yesterday’s sentence to Svetlana Chechil is an example, demonstrate that an authoritarian state easily uses the law enforcement as an instrument of repressions against their political opponents,” Emilia Slabunova, YABLOKO Chairperson, said.
Svetlana Chechil is accused of abuse of authority (Article 286 Part 1 of the Criminal Code). The criminal case was filed immediately after the elections of 2013. On the eve of the elections Governor of Karelia Alexander Khudilainen warned Svetlana Chechil, head of the Administration of Prionezhsky region, Karelia, that she would have to talk with an investigator soon. And before that First Deputy Governor Oleg Gromov hinted Chechil that her political disobedience should be punished.
Past week the prosecutor asked to detain Svetlana Chechil and send her to a penal colony for 1.5 years. “Change of her behavior is impossible without isolation from society”, he said.
Svetlana Chechil did not recognise her guilt.
The action will start at 16:00.
Address: Bolshaya Dmitrovka 15a, Moscow.