Liberal International, 23.05.2014
As part of a quickly intensifying oppression crusade against the opposition, the Russian law enforcement authorities have searched the Moscow headquarters of Yabloko (LI full member) for the first time in the 20-year history of the party.

The leader of the party, Sergei Mitrokhin, a witness in the trial on Andrei Rudomakha, was interrogated for hours by the Zamoskvoretsky Investigation Department for “slander against a judge.” The search was prompted by a press release issued on Yabloko’s accusing Judge Elena Zolotukhina of “exercising arbitrary rule and readily implementing the orders of the authorities on issuing unlawful decisions.” Commenting in a press release on the vicious political agenda behind the search Mitrokhin said: “I can see here a political order of Krasnodar Governor Alexander Tkachyov, who has been settling scores with his opponents – local activists and members of the YABLOKO party. Environmentalist Yevgeny Vitishko was jailed for making an inscription on the fence, which he did not write. We know that the law enforcement is under tough regional authorities’ control. And finally they got at us.”

Following similar lines of repression, in what Yabloko calls another “faked case”, Deputy Head of the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Karelia and Yabloko Bureau Member, Anastasia Kravchuk, has just been charged with alleged fraud while no clear explanation on the specific charges against her. If convicted, she could face up to 10 years in prison. Yabloko issued a statement condemning the political prosecution of Kravchuk along with 6 other party officials, in which it labelled the use of law enforcement and the judiciary against Yabloko politicians in the Republic of Karelia as “inadmissible.” Reading further the statement said: “Yabloko Bureau assesses the prosecution of the party activists in Karelia as being politically motivated. Such practices arose much concern. The state authorities and the society should pay attention to the extremely dangerous trends of criminal persecution of the political opposition.”

The last LI Congress in Rotterdam, the Netherlands raised the alarm over the increased persecution of the Russian liberals in clear violation of Russia’s obligation as Council of Europe member. The World Today Resolution states: “Liberal International applauds the suspension of voting rights of the Russian Federation in the Parliamentary Assembly in the Council of Europe. Congress calls on the Russian authorities to release the political prisoners, reform and democratise its institutions, organise free and fair elections. The Russian authorities must fully respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of its neighbours.” The full text can be accessed here.