Blog post by Sergei Mitrokhin, 10.12.2015

These days we are celebrating a glorious albeit partially tragic jubilee.

Act of Bravery. 1965

On the 5th of December it turned exactly 50 years since the day when a large group of human rights defenders came out to Pushkin Square in order to protect the fundamental law of the country. The slogan of the action was a requirement of publicity in the trial over Andrei Sinyavsky and Yuli Daniel, whose “crime” had been in handing over their manuscripts for publication abroad. The action lasted only a few minutes, and then was dispersed by KGB officers. Read more »

On December 19-20, the Congress of the YABLOKO party will take place. 164 delegates will elect the new party leaders: a Chairperson, members of the Bureau, Political Committee, Internal Audit Commission and Arbitration Committee. Read more »

Press Release, 09.12.2015

On 12 December, the day of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, YABLOKO will hold pickets in Pushkin Square in defense of the country’s fundamental law. The Soviet dissidents held their first rally in defense of the Constitution in this square in December 1965. YABLOKO party leader Sergei Mitrokhin will take part in the action. Read more »

Statement by YABLOKO Bureau, 09.12.2015

The reaction of the Russian leadership on the tragic death of Russian military Oleg Peshkov and Alexander Pozynich turned out to be asymmetric and strange. The [authorities] chose to strike a blow on cultural and educational ties between our nations. Such negative developments in the relations between Russia and Turkey arises much concern.
Read more »

Press release, 08.12.2015

On December 8, Moscow YABLOKO Youth conducted a round table on the juvenile justice system. The aim of the event was to break the myths about the juvenile justice which are being spread by the lobbyists of traditional values and “a special way” of the development of Russia. The supporters of the juvenile justice claim that the under-aged need a special treatment, different form those of the grown-ups, therefore one needs to develop separate legal institutions aimed at the obedience of children’s rights and interests, protection of children form domestic violence and provision of a special approach within the judicial and re-enforcement systems. Andrei Babushkin, a human rights defender, YABLOKO Bureau member and member of the Presidential Council for Human Rights, participated in the event. Read more »

Statement by the Moscow branch of YABLOKO Youth, 08.12.2015

On December 7, a precedent was set within the Russian legal system – the court passed the sentence against civil activist Ilgar Dadin for participating in four pickets, three of them were one-person pickets [according to the law, one-person picketing do not need authorisation]. On the one hand, three years of imprisonment is a too severe sentence. On the other hand, everybody is complaining that courts in Russia are dependent, but Basmanny court refuted this statement by charging the activist with three years of imprisonment though the Prosecutor’s Office asked for two years. As a rule, the court gives a milder punishment than the prosecution suggests. Read more »

Press Release, 07.12.2015

YABLOKO member Andris Dreimanis won by-elections to the Sebezh Council of Deputies, the Pskov, region. The elections took place on 6 December. Andris Dreimanis with almost 40 per cent of the vote won one of the two mandates.

Photo: Andris Dreimanis at the meeting of the Pskov branch of YABLOKO on 21 November, 2015

Vladimir Azarov, the second YABLOKO candidate, came fourth with nearly 30 per cent of the vote.

Press Release, 08.12.2015

The Moscow authorities denied the YABLOKO the permission to conduct a picket to mark the Constitution Day (the 12th of December) in Pushkin Square in the centre of Moscow. Read more »

Press Release, 3.12,2015

YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin said that the annual Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation demonstrated that there would be no qualitative changes in the country: the course towards militarization would remain and the policies of “tightening the screws” would go on. The President underestimated the crisis tendencies in the economy and did not mention of the conflict in Ukraine. Read more »

Press Release, 3.12.2015

Petrozavodsk Mayor Galina Shirshina who was elected on the post with the support of the YABLOKO party, won the RBC (RosBusinessConsulting) award in the nomination the State Person. The prize was awarded in Moscow today. Read more »

03.12.2015

Congratualtions to Galina Shirshina, Mayor of Petrozavodsk (capital of Karelia), on winning the RBC (RosBusinessConsulting) award in the nomination “The States Person”. Galina Shirshina was elected Mayor with YABLOKO support two years ago and is known for her tough anti-corruption stance.
The award runs “for openness and transparency in the regional policy, defending self-government principles and courage in decision-making”.

/ / Znak.com, 29.04.2014

Galina Shirshina, aged 34, is head of Petrozavodsk [the capital of the Republic of Karelia, North-West Russia], and for the eight months in office as the City Mayor she has managed to accomplish what male officials could not. Read more »

Press release, 29.11.2015

Politician and economist Grigory Yavlinsky presented his new books at the Book Fair of Intellectual Literature Non / Fiction. This year two news books by Grigory Yavlinsky were published: “Peripheral Authoritarianism What Russia Has Achieved and Why”and “Notes on History and Politics: the People, the Country, and the Reforms” written together with Andrei Kosmynin. Read more »

Announcement, 01.12.2015

On 12 December, the Russian Constitution Day, YABLOKO will conduct a picket in support of the observing the Russian Constitution. YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin will take part in the action. Read more »

Press release, 30.11.2015
On November 29, the enlarged session of the Regional Council of the Moscow region branch of YABLOKO took place. Read more »

Press release, 30.11.2015
On November 27, YABLOKO’s Andrei Khomov, headmaster of the Nizhny Novgorod branch of Moscow State University of Railway Engineering, participated in a conference called “Transport and logistic component of the cluster development in the field of motor industry and petrochemistry.” Read more »

Press release, 26.11.2015
YABLOKO’s environmentalist Evgeny Vitishko announced a hunger strike as a sign of protest against the actions of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Tambov region which had challenged the court decision to commute the sentence to Vitishko. Read more »

Press Release, 24.11.2015

Yesterday, on 23 November, the State Duma held a meeting of its working group so that to discuss amendments into the law on the use of special equipment in case of disobedience of prisoners, the so-called “sadists’ law”. Andrei Babushkin, YABLOKO Bureau member and member of the Presidential Council for Human Rights, participated in the meeting. The Working Group adopted seven amendments submitted by Babushkin. Read more »

Announcement, 28.10.2015

Novaya Gazeta Publishing House is proud to announce that it will present visitors at the Non Fiction book fair in Moscow with new books by Grigory Yavlinsky. You will have an opportunity to meet the author at the book fair on Saturday, 28 November. Read more »

Politician and economist Grigory Yavlinsky on why the discussion on economic reforms has lost any sense

Grigory Yavlinsky for Vedomosti, 8 November 2015    

Photo: Forums still hear empty words that Russia should finally diversify its economy. Valery Sharifulin /TASS

The profound systemic crisis of the Russian economy is beyond doubt. In June, at the Saint Petersburg Economic Forum, the elites were still trying to pretend that this was not so much a crisis. However, this is how Russia is going “its own way.” Admittedly, the group with which the Russian President spoke from the rostrum (Deputy Prime Minister of China, Deputy Prime Minister of Myanmar and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras) was unconvincing.

Read more »