Press Release, 01.09.2017

Today at 9 a.m., the police of the Kirov department of Yaroslavl seized 130,000 copies of the Yaroslavl YABLOKO election campaign newspaper. The police did not provide any documents for withdrawal, but referred to an anonymous statement that the publication contained illegal materials.

YABLOKO managed to get from the print only part of the papers – 20,000 copies – yesterday. The rest was to be taken by the Rico-Press company which distributes YABLOKO’s election materials.

Oleg Vinogradov, Chairman of the Yaroslavl YABLOKO, said that the newspaper has been paid for from the electoral fund, the commission had been notified about it and handed a copy of the newspaper. There had been no complaints. Thus, all legal requirements had been fulfilled.

The police did not draw up a protocol. Peter Khovansky, head of the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in the Kirovsky urban district of Yaroslavl, was present at the seizure.

The police said that newspapers would be checked for illegal content. It can take about 10 days up to the voting day, the 10th of September.

The newspaper contained a material that Vladimir Sleptsov, Mayor of Yaroslavl, was suspected of corruption. The Investigative Committee is already conducting an investigation into the Sleptsov case.

“This is lawlessness. We are preparing an appeal to the Prosecutor’s Office and to the Investigative Committee with a demand to bring to justice the policemen guilty of unlawful hampering the party’s election campaign. The election results are now the responsibility of the police,” Oleg Vinogradov said.

The list of YABLOKO at the election to the Yaroslavl City Duma is represented by 20 candidates led by Oleg Vinogradov, leader of the regional branch of the party, ex-Deputy-Governor of the Yaroslavl region. 14 candidates are also registered in the majority districts. Elections will be held on 10 September.