Press Release, 8.07.2020

Ronald Ayrapetyan, member of the regional branch of the Yabloko party in the Stavropol Territory, received threats from unidentified persons. The activist found a note with threats in his postbox on 8 July. The note ran that if Ronald Ayrapetyan came out again to protest against Putin, he would go to jail.

“Our activist from Kislovodsk Ronald Ayrapetyan is being threatened. It is connected with his pickets in Kislovodsk. I am preparing an application to the Public Prosecutor’s Office,” Vitaliy Zubenko, Chairman of the Stavropol Yabloko, said.

It should be noted that Ronald Ayrapetyan, member of the Yabloko party was detained by police on June 26, during his single picket (such pickets do not require any permissions from the authorities) with a placard against changing the Constitution and “resetting” the presidential terms. After a “conversation” with threats in the police office he was released without a protocol being drawn up. The police tried to exert pressure on the activist. Vitaly Zubenko, Chairman of the Stavropol branch of Yabloko, filed an application with the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Stavropol Territory about abuse of power by police officers. The leader of the regional branch of the party asked the Public Prosecutor to verify the legality of the detention of Ronald Ayrapetyan.

The Yabloko party conducted a nation-wide campaign against the “reset” of the presidential terms of Vladimir Putin. Yabloko activists faced pressure on behalf of the law enforcement during campaigning.

Police arrested for eight days Anatoly Nogovitsyn, Chairman of the Yabloko branch in Yakutia, after a single picket (such pickets do not require any permissions from the authorities) against constitutional amendments allowing Vladimir Putin to remain on the post of President of Russia until 2036.

In addition, the court in Yeysk, the Krasnodar Territory, arrested for ten days Alexander Korovainy, Yabloko’s municipal deputy of the Council of the Municipal Formation of the Yeysk District, for “disobeying the police”. Alexander was arrested after a rally against Vladimir Putin’s amendments to the Constitution. Yabloko considers the arrest of Korovainy a political revenge on the part of the leadership of Yeysk and the Krasnodar Territory and demands his immediate release.

In Astrakhan police seized Yabloko leaflets against the reset of Vladimir Putin’s presidential terms from the car of Dmitry Anufriyev, Chairman of the Astrakhan branch of Yabloko and Deputy of the Regional Duma, who was taking the leaflets to the Yabloko office. Anufriyev is facing administrative responsibility.