Press Release, 16.03.2019

In the Krasnodar Territory, a lawsuit was filed against Alexander Korovainy, deputy of the Yeisk District Council from the Yabloko party, for his repost on Facebook of a MBH-Media’s picture on the rise in prices. Alexander Korovainy was accused of “carrying out the activity of an undesirable organisation” (Article 20.33 of the Administrative Code of the RF).

According to the law enforcement agencies, the deputy published a material recognised by the Open Russia Civic Movement which had been recognised an undesirable organisation in Russia. However, Alexander Korovainy stated that he placed a link only to the media web-site, which had not been banned in Russia, and the publication about currencies exchange rates and prices did not violate Russian laws.

Nikolai Rybakov, Deputy Chairman of the Yabloko party, emphasised that the case against Korovainy is another attempt to put pressure on opposition politicians.

“Instead of investigating crimes, law enforcement agencies are fighting against people who want to change life in our country for the better. The authorities are trying to deprive independent politicians of a deputy status by unlawful means,” Nikolai Rybakov said.

Alexander Korovainy connected the case against him with his parliamentary activities and anti-corruption investigations, that irritate the city administration and the businessmen connected with it. Earlier, the deputy had been fired from the school where he had been working as a teacher, and he had been also forbidden to organise popular intellectual games “What? Where? When?”. Korovainy noted that another episode of administrative pressure on him represented an attempt to intimidate him and also finally deprive him of any means of existence.

“They want to impose absolutely illegal fines on me so that I cannot pay them. They are trying to put similar pressure on other independent deputies of the Council of the Municipal Formation in the Yeisk District,” Alexander Korovainy said.

It should be also noted that along with the Alexander Korovainy case, the authorities in the Pskov region run an investigation of the criminal case initiated against the Pskov branch of Yabloko and Lev Shlosberg, its head of regional MP, for a leaflet with an appeal to vote against all candidates in the elections of the Governor of the Pskov region. In Moscow the Investigation Committee conducts a pre-investigation probe on municipal deputies Viktor Kotov and Andrei Morev, as the law enforcement authorities did not like that a story about Oleg Sentsov, Ukrainian film director imprisoned in Russia, was published in the Nasha Yakimanka newspaper.