Press Release, 23.11.2024

Photo: Lev Shlosberg / Photo by the Pskov branch of Yabloko

Deputy Chairman of the Yabloko party Lev Shlosberg was detained at the Pskov airport upon returning from Moscow today, at about 10 a.m. Shlosberg was taken to the linear police department on the airport territory. The police did not allow his wife Zhanna Shlosberg, who came to meet her husband from a business trip, to see him. Shlosberg was later released, with his laptop and telephone confiscated.

It should be noted that Lev Shlosberg is a suspect in a criminal case under Article 330.1 Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Evasion of duties stipulated by the legislation of the Russian Federation on foreign agents”. On 2 October, searches were conducted in his apartment and at the apartment of his 95-year-old father. On 18 October, police came to the office of the Pskov branch of Yabloko and confiscated all the equipment.

The Yabloko party does not admit Lev Shlosberg’s guilt in committing any offenses and considers what is happening to be political and violent pressure from the authorities on our friend and colleague and the entire Pskov branch of our party.

Commentary by Lev Shlosberg:

Dear friends, ladies and gentlemen,

Please stop panicking. People I have known well (for some time already) were waiting for me today at the Pskov airport, where I returned after a meeting of the Yabloko Federal Political Committee in Moscow. I buy tickets myself and in my own name, so they know in advance where to and from where I travel. Those who “scheduled” a meeting with me for this Saturday morning were waiting for me at the steps of the plane. I can’t say that I was very surprised.

The adventures of my “lost” foreign agent notification in the Pskov region continue. The investigator was interested in the “electronic means of communication” I had with me.

The sanction for a personal search was given yesterday, on 22 November, by Victoria Malyamova, Judge of the Pskov City Court, she also gave permission for a search of our home on 1 October. The laptop and phone I had with me on the business trip were added to the collection of investigator Andrei Semyonov.

Perhaps no one in the world has such a collection of my equipment as Andrei Semyonov.

Friends, all this is extremely unpleasant, but such are our current circumstances. Many thanks to everyone who reacted, worried and supported. I wish our country freedom and a speedy peace (including civil peace).

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

LEV SHLOSBERG

is a Deputy Chairman of the Yabloko party, member of the Federal Political Committee of Yabloko and Deputy Chair of the Pskov regional branch of the party. Headed the Yabloko faction in the Pskov Regional Assembly of Deputies