Press Release, 3.10.2022

Photo: Alexander Grigoriev / Photo from social media

In Lipetsk, a criminal case was opened against Alexander Grigoriev, a member of the Yabloko party, under of Article 207.3 Part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Public dissemination of knowingly false information about the use of the armed forces of the Russian Federation”). Alexander Grigoriev, a well-known civil activist in Lipetsk, is under investigation now, no preventive measure has been chosen for him yet.

On 29 August, builder Alexander Grigoriev, who works on a rotational basis in Stary Oskol, was detained at his place of work and taken to his apartment in Lipetsk for a search. The activist’s computer and phone were confiscated. During interrogation on the same day, Grigoriev learned that a criminal case was opened against him on 26 August for his publications in his channel on the Yandex.Zen platform. According to Yabloko, the activist’s channel was blocked by the platform back in the spring. In his posts, Grigoriev criticized the so-called “special operation”, called the military operation on the territory of Ukraine a *** (a censored word).

Alexander Grigoriev also said that he lost his job after his employer learned that a criminal case had been opened against him on “fakes about the army”: the employer did not prolong the contract with the activist, saying that he “did not need criminals”.

The law enforcement of Lipetsk have been trying to press the civil activist for a long time already. In particular, in 2019, they wanted to punish Grigoriev under Article 20.3.1 (“incitement of hatred or enmity, as well as humiliation of human dignity”) of the Code of Administrative Offenses for his journalistic activities, but the case was closed due to the lack of corpus delicti. Alexander Grigoriev was repeatedly detained for political activities and served an administrative arrests. He is known for his single pickets against the decisions of local authorities and his blog posts criticising the authorities.

Alexander Grigoriev faces, according to Article 207.3 Part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“fakes about the army”), either a fine from 700,000 to 1.5 million roubles, or forced labour for up to three years, or imprisonment for up to three years.

In total, four criminal cases were opened against Yabloko members for “fake news about the army” and “discrediting the armed forces”: journalist Mikhail Afanasyev is under arrest in Khakassia, journalist Vladimir Efimov received a ban on certain actions in Kamchatka, and a ban on certain actions was imposed on Anatoly Nogovitsyn, Chairman of the Yabloko branch in Yakutia.

Read more about the persecution of Yabloko members after the start of the “special operation”.