Press Release, 6.03.2022

Photo by Alexander Meridonov / Kommersant

At least seven members of the Yabloko party were detained on March 6 in four Russian regions, including chairpersons of the regional branches of the party in Bashkiria, Ivanovo and Rostov regions.

The police detained Maria Krivenko, Chair of the Rostov branch of Yabloko, at the entrance to the party office in Rostov-on-Don in the morning of 6 March. She was taken to police department No 4 of the Leninsky district, where a protocol of a violation was drawn up under Article 20.1 part 2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (“petty hooliganism”). Earlier, another activist of the Rostov branch of Yabloko Vladimir Beradze received 15 days of arrest under the same article. Probably Maria Krivenko will stay at the police department for the night, and tomorrow, 7 March, she will appear before the court.

In Taganrog (the Rostov region), the police detained Yabloko activist Yaroslav Revenko. As of 18:00 (MSK), he continues to remain in the police department. What he is accused of is not known. However, there is information that Revenko may be charged under the new article of the Code of Administrative Offenses – Article 20.3.3 – public actions aimed at “discrediting the use of the Armed Forces”.

In the afternoon, Andrei Avtoneev, leader of the Ivanovo regional branch of the Yabloko party, was detained during laying of flowers at the monument to the heroes of the Second World War in Ivanovo. He was later released without a protocol.

Kristina Abramicheva, Chair of the Bashkirian branch of Yabloko, was detained in the Victory Park in Ufa. Three hours later, all other detainees were released after completing written explanations and warnings, while Abramicheva was left in the police department. She heard that police officers were discussing that the leader of the Bashkirian branch of Yabloko could be prosecuted on charges of fraud.

Three members of the Moscow branch of Yabloko were detained at different Moscow metro stations. They were told that the face recognition system detected them.

Svetlana Gannushkina, a member of the Federal Political Committee of the party who celebrates her 80th birthday today, has already been released with the obligation to appear before court. A protocol was drawn up in respect of Gannushkina under of Article 20.2 Part 5 (violation of the order of picketing).

Members of the Regional Council of the Moscow branch of Yabloko Prof. Galina Mikhaleva and Ilya Gurevich are still kept at the police stations. Yesterday Gurevich was fired from his job in the Moscow metro.

Update at 21:20.

Yaroslav Revenko from Taganrog was fined 60,000 roubles under a new article on “discrediting the use of armed forces” (Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses).

Galina Mikhaleva and Ilya Gurevich were released from Moscow police departments after signing “warnings”, but reports on administrative offenses were not drawn up against them (in fact they had committed no violations).

Update at 22:30.

The office of the Bashkirian branch of Yabloko was searched. The department for combating extremism (the so-called Centre E) examined the premises for the presence of “extremist materials” in it, but certianly found nothing.

After the search, two computers were seized. The Bashkirian branch of Yabloko will be informed on the results of their inspection after 9 March, i.e. after public the holidays.

Kristina Abramicheva, Chairperson of the Yabloko branch in Bashkiria, and Albert Khusainov, her predecessor and an instructor of the regional department, were present during the search.

Before that, Kristina Abramicheva was detained in the Victory Park in Ufa and spent more than three hours at the police station. In order not to let her go free three hours after the arrest, as required by law, the police said that a criminal case could be initiated against Abramicheva on the charges of fraud.

After a search in the office Kristina Abramicheva was released without any charges put forward against her and without a protocol on an administrative offense.

Yesterday, the police conducted an “inspection” in the office of the Pskov branch of Yabloko. The reason for it was the denunciation of a citizen of Russia. The police seized all the equipment, including ten computers.

Update 7 March.

Maria Krivenko, Chairperson of the Rostov-on-Don branch of Yabloko, received ten days of arrest. She was subjected to psychological pressure from the Centre “E”. Maria was kept during the night of March 6-7 in the same cell with a homeless man and could not sleep. Maria and Yabloko will appeal against the decision of the court.