Statement by the YABLOKO party

Mass audits of hundreds of non-profit organisations (NGOs) across the country by the Prosecutor’s Office that are often carried out with the participation of sanitary-epidemiological and fire protection services [that are also looking for the ‘violations’ of sanitary-epidemiological and fire protection rules so that to fine or close the NGOs], as well as subsequent warnings about the need to register as a “foreign agent” manifest intimidation and suppression of the active part of the Russian society.

The [Russian] authorities refer to the to U.S. law, which had to put under the control national-socialist organisations on the eve of World War II, trying to force the society to return to that period, the period of total control and search of an enemy.

We are witnessing the policies towards “nationalisation of the elites” supplemented by the policies towards “nationalisation of the society”, creation of a virtual iron curtain and impalnting of hostility to everything foreign, which comes into conflict with the [government’s] calls to attract foreign investment into Russia.

The government took advantage of the situation developing since 1990s, when not only civil NGOs, but also many important institutions engaged in science and culture had to apply for foreign grants so that to survive and operate. Yet Russia has no such unaffiliated and non-corrupt state or independent private financial institutions that would act as interested and transparent sponsors for public control and educational programmes. That is why it turns out that the only way out is foreign funding.

Assuming that any foreign funding is suspicious and any activity outside the governments’ control is political, the prosecutors acting in accordance with the Stalin’s principle: “you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs”. In addition to human rights organisations, the authorities fight against those who are helping to children who are seriously ill. Research and training centres and even nature reserves for cranes have to become “foreign agents”.

Deliberate defamation by the state of non-profit civic organizations that perform the function of civil control in different spheres of life represents maintenance of the policies that have already given us continuous election fraud, an entirely dependent parliament, open and bold rejection of the constitutional division of powers. This means ousting of people out of politics and public life, and transformation of the socio-political sphere into an exclusive prerogative of the state.

Not only human rights activists, but also independent politicians, MPs and public figures turn into “undesirable elements”.

However, state support is granted such controlled by and loyal to the government organisations, which are often close to the ruling United Russia party, as public chambers in Moscow and in the regions and pro-governmental youth organisations designed to fight against the opposition.

Ousting out the politics and related social life of everything independent, active and indifferent (and therefore disagreeing with what has been going on) breaks the already unstable and problematic relationship between the government and the citizens. From the point of view of the country’s development this is a strategic deadlock.

The YABLOKO party requires the government to immediately abandon its policy towards destruction of independent NGOs representing the active part of civil society, and declares that it is ready to help public organisations by all available means.

Sergei Mitrokhin,

YABLOKO Chairman