Press Release, 14.08.2020

Yabloko Chairman Nikolai Rybakov sent an appeal to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov with a request to protect Russian citizens detained on the territory of the Republic of Belarus – journalists, civil and public figures, including Artem Vazhenkov, Coordinator of the Golos movement in Tver, and activist Igor Rogov.

In his address to the Foreign Minister, the Yabloko Chairman notes that many of Russian citizens detained in Belarus were not given the opportunity to inform their relatives, friends and colleagues about the detention.

“I consider it necessary to immediately demand from the authorities of the Republic of Belarus to provide complete and reliable information about all detained citizens of the Russian Federation. I urge you to provide all possible measures to protect the rights and legitimate interests of the citizens of the Russian Federation who are currently on the territory of Belarus,” Nikolai Rybakov emphasised.

On Thursday, August 13, the Yabloko party also issued a statement expressing solidarity with the citizens of Belarus protesting against the unfair election of the head of state and the usurpation of power by Alexander Lukashenko. The statement stresses that suppression of legitimate protests by brutal force, the brutality of the security forces, blood and violence in the streets of Belarusian cities must not go unpunished.

“The peoples of Russia and Belarus deserve a different government and the right to change it through legal civilised procedures. We sincerely wish the brotherly Belarusian people to achieve fair and competitive elections and a peaceful change of power in the country,” Nikolai Rybakov noted in his statement.