Is
Modernisation in Russia Possible? Interview
with Grigory Yavlinsky and Boris Titov by Yury Pronko,
"The Real Time" programme, Radio Finam, May
12, 2010
Speech by the head of the Yabloko faction in the St.Petersburg Legislative Assembly, 3.02.2021
Photo: Boris Vishnevsky/ photo from the official website of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg
Laws have been passed in this room for more than a quarter of a century.
However, for the past ten days St. Petersburg has ceased to be a zone of law and has turned into a zone of lawlessness.
Tough detentions of civilians, beatings of women, use of electric shockers, demonstrative humiliation of citizens – all this in response to a peaceful protest, the right to which is guaranteed by the Constitution.
Non-admission of lawyers to the detained, many hours of detention of people with sight disabilities and mothers of young children, refusal to provide information to MPs, ignoring any indications of violations of the law – all this done with an insolent grin “if you are dissatisfied, you can complain”.
The concept of human rights has ceased to exist, as well as the concept of law.
Photo: Konstantin Markelov, Rector of Astrakhan State University/ photo from the official website of Astrakhan State University
Yabloko Chairman Nikolai Rybakov, sent an appeal to Konstantin Markelov, Rector of Astrakhan State University, demanding that the unlawfully expelled students be reinstated.
On 29 January, 2021, the Rector expelled three students “in an administrative order” for participation in a peaceful protest action on 23 January, 2021. Two of the students – Violetta Yemelyanenko and Alexander Mochalov – are members of the Youth Yabloko. According to Yabloko, the Rector’s actions are aimed at intimidation and suppression of the freedom of speech, violate their rights to express their own views and beliefs, including the right to assemble peacefully without weapons.
Photo: The Chelyabinsk city pine forest / Wikimedia Commons
The second Court of Appeal once again confirmed that the decision of the regional Legislative Assembly to change the boundaries of the Chelyabinsk pine forest was unlawful. The court, located in St. Petersburg, overturned the decision of the deputies to seize part of the pine forest for the construction of a children’s surgical building.
Earlier, the Public Prosecutor General’s Office revealed his undeclared business worth over 38 billion roubles
Press Release, 1.02.2021
Photo: Sergei Sopchuk, photo from the official website of the Legislative Assembly of the Maritime Territory
Alexei Karnaukhov, Director of the Yabloko party Anti-Corruption Policy Сentre, appealed to the Chairman of the State Duma with a demand to deprive MP Sergei Sopchuk of his mandate. The court found that the United Russia deputy was unlawfully engaged in business worth over 38 billion roubles. Despite the court’s decision and a confirmed violation of anti-corruption laws, Sopchuk is still an MP in the State Duma. Yabloko’s Anti-Corruption Policy Centre emphasises that business activities are a basis for deprivation of a State Duma deputy of the mandate.
In the Yabloko party’s federal call centre for assistance to those detained at the actions of 31 January continues its work.
Lawyers and party activists work in the call centre. The call centre coordinates its work with the OVD-Info project providing information on the detained and legal aid to them and other human rights projects.
A new wave of political repression, targeted against a wide range of Russian citizens, the entire protesting civil society in Russia, has emerged.
The public protest is caused by people’s fatigue and unacceptability for them of the twenty years of irreplaceable authoritarian rule by Vladimir Putin and the prospects of the endless repetition of this situation. This is directly related to the events of the past year ─ the unlawful rewriting of the Constitution in order to establish a regime of unlimited personal power.
Photo: Sofya Pugacheva, head of the Novorzhevsky District and Yabloko member
The team of the Pskov branch of Yabloko has published the next issue of the newspaper Grazhdanin (Citizen) for the residents of the Novorzhevsky District. The paper was published on donations. This issue includes a large interview with Sofya Pugacheva, head of the district and Yabloko member, about the achievements and difficulties of the district in 2020, as well as materials about the inhabitants of the Novorzhevsky district, its economy, culture, education, tourism, charity, hopes and plans.
In the central publication of the issue is an interview with Sofya Pugacheva, head of the Novorzhevsky district, elected from Yabloko. She has been in charge of the region for more than a year, but she was able to do a lot for the residents of her native land and the region.
On Wednesday, 28 January, the Yabloko Party University held a lecture by Yulia Ostrovskaya, Deputy Director of the Centre for Social and Labour Rights, on harassment in the professional sphere. The lecture was held via Zoom.
Photo: members of the Kaliningrad branch of Yabloko on a picket “Let us return the right to decide to the city residents!”
The Kaliningrad branch of Yabloko and two voters filed a law suit in the Kaliningrad Regional Court. The law suit contests the decision of the Council of Deputies of the City of Kaliningrad to change the system of elections to the City Council from the mixed to the majority system.
Photo: The police banned peaceful protesters from entering the Hyde Park in Pskov on January 23, 2021 / Photo by Alexei Navalny’s headquarters in Pskov
On the morning of January 26, the police reclassified the events of Pskov on January 23, which they charge Lev Shlosberg, member of the Yabloko party Federal Political Committee and MP of the Pskov Regional Assembly from Yabloko, with under Article 20.2 Part 2 (organisation of a public event without a permission of the authorities).
The Yabloko delegation headed by the party Chairman Nikolai Rybakov laid flowers at the monument sign of the hero-city Leningrad in the Alexander Garden in Moscow.
“The day of lifting the siege of Leningrad during the Second World War is not just the Leningrad Victory Day. This is the Day of Life. A day on which one especially needs to remember how valuable and fragile life is. What price Leningrad residents paid for peace and what responsibility lies on us for preserving this peace,” the leader of Yabloko stressed.
The public activity that has manifested itself in the recent days in protecting Alexei Navalny from political persecution is very high. I would like to hope that this will lead to an increase in public activity in defending other political prisoners, and there are hundreds of them in Russia. “We came out not for Alexei Navalny, we came out for ourselves,” many protesters of 23 January said. There is no reason to doubt their sincerity. When we go out to defend other political prisoners, we also go out for ourselves. Because the repressive machine of the Stalinist type created in Russia – with the “state bodies that do not make mistakes” [in their reprisals, according to Joseph Stalin’s phrase] – can pull almost anyone into its mechanism at any moment. Therefore, the freedom of all Russian political prisoners (to quote a very clear statement by Grigory Yavlinsky) is our freedom. The demand for their release must be repeated every day. And the old slogan “For your and our freedom” is as relevant today as ever.
Yulia Ostrovskaya. Photo from Yulia Ostrovskaya’s personal archive
On Wednesday, 27 January, the Yabloko Party University (in a zoom conference format) will host a lecture by Yulia Ostrovskaya on harassment in the professional sphere. The lecture will start at 18:00 MSK.
Yulia Ostrovskaya is Deputy Director of the Centre for Social and Labour Rights.
In the photo: Batyr Boromangnayev with a placard “Free political prisoners!” / the Kalmykian branch of Yabloko
On 23 January, Batyr Boromangnayev, Chairman of the Kalmykian branch of the Yabloko party, held a single picket in Elista, capital of Kalmykia, in support of political prisoners in Russia and solidarity with imprisoned Ingush activists.
According to the leader of the regional party branch, dozens of Ingush activists who protested against the arbitrary transfer of their lands to Chechnya are under criminal prosecution by the Russian authorities for political reasons: Akhmed Barakhoev, Bagaudin Khautiev, Zarifa Sautieva, Malsag Uzhakhov, Musa Malsagov, Barakh Chemurziev, Ismail Nalgiev, Ali Hamkhoev and many others.
The Yabloko party turns to heads of [Russian] educational institutions urging them to prevent expulsion of pupils and students who took part in political actions.
Photo: The placard runs: “I have the right to choose”
The Yabloko party calls heads of educational institutions to prevent expulsion of pupils and students who took part in political actions. This is contrary to the Russian Constitution, belies the common sense and will lead to exasperation and radicalisation.
Refusal of dialogue, a no-compromise approach and exasperation are a bad lesson taught by the authorities to the new generation.
Anatoly Nogovitsyn. Photo from the Anatoly Nogovitsyn’s personal archive
Anatoly Nogovitsyn, Chairman of the Yakutsk branch of Yabloko, was arrested for 20 days. Administrative arrests for 48 hours have been assigned to members of the Arkhangelsk branch of Yabloko Yuri Chesnokov and the Deputy Chairman of the regional branch of the party Ruslan Akhmetshin.
In the Yabloko party launched a federal call centre for assistance to those detained at the rallies on 23 January.
Lawyers and party activists work in the call centre. The call centre coordinates its work with the OVD-Info project providing information on the detained and legal aid to them and other human rights projects.
An unlawful repressive state with the unlimited personal, irreplaceable power of Vladimir Putin has been formed in Russia. The laws are being applied in the way that Putin and his ruling group wish.
The regime will use unlimited brutality and force against protesters. Protesters must be fully aware of the grave danger they and those they call to the streets will face. Calls to minors to participate in unpermitted actions are categorically unacceptable, such calls are irresponsibly criminal – no matter who they come from.
