Press Release, 16.03.2022

Photo: Anatoly Nogovitsyn / Photo from social networks

Today, six policemen came to the house of Anatoly Nogovitsyn, Chairman of the Yabloko branch in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The law enforcement insisted on taking Nogovitsyn to the police department, where a protocol was drawn up against him under Article 20.3.3 Part 1 (“public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the armed forces of the Russian Federation in order to protect the interests of the Russian Federation and its citizens, maintain international peace and security”).

The reason for drawing up the protocol was Nagovitsyn’s publication of in his Telegram channel, dedicated to ***** in Ukraine, of a link to the video commentary of the Novaya Gazeta journalist Yelena Kostyuchenko about what has been happening these days in Nikolayev (a city in the south Ukraine), as well as a video with the participation of local residents of Berdyansk and Kherson (presumably).

After drawing up the protocol, Anatoly Nogovitsyn was taken to the Yakutsk city court, but the judge refused to examine the case immediately. The leader of the Yabloko branch is waiting for a subpoena.

A possible punishment under Article 20.3.3 Part 1 is a fine from 30,000 to 50,000 roubles.

Anatoly Nogovitsyn notes that the police behaved as if the Yabloko had been arrested. Nogovitsyn says that law enforcement aim at intimidation of the inhabitants of Yakutia.

Earlier, Yabloko activist in Kemerovo, Valentin Grushevsky, was fined 35,000 roubles by the court under a new “anti-war” article for making comments on Facebook. Also, the city court of Taganrog (the Rostov region) fined Yabloko member Yaroslav Revenko 60,000 roubles. Like Grushevsky, he was accused of “discrediting the Russian armed forces”. The court considered Revenko’s pacifist position as discrediting.