Statement by the YABLOKO party, 28.04.2016
The decision of the Petrozavodsk City Court to sentence Svetlana Chechil, member of YABLOKO’s Federal Council, to 1.5 years in a penal colony is a reprisal against political opponents of Governor of the Republic of Karelia Alexander Khudilainen.

Criminal persecution of Svetlana Chechil, head of the Administration of Prionezhsky municipal district, Karelia, is groundless, absurd and politically motivated.

Since 2012, when Khudilainen was appointed Governor of the Region [by Vladimir Putin], he has started the active redistribution of the economic assets in the region. He launched an unprecedented campaign of reprisals against YABLOKO members who had openly stated about the economic interests of the Governor and involvement of his team with corruption.

During 2013-2015 a large number of criminal cases were filed against the members of YABLOKO’s team: Deputy Mayor of Petrozavodsk Evgenia Sukhorukova, deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Karelia Anastasia Kravchuk, leader of the regional YABLOKO branch Vasily Popov, Chair of the army veterans council of the city Galina Karasova, deputy of Petrozavodsk City Council Olga Zaletskaya and other party members. The elected mayor of Petrozavodsk Galina Shirshina was illegally ousted from her position.

The war against YABLOKO members which was broken out with the support of law enforcement discredits the regional and federal authorities and it must be stopped immediately.

We claim that all the facts of corruption in the region must be investigated and the guilty must be brought to responsibility. The resignation of Governor of the Republic Alexander Khudilainen who bears personal responsibility for persecution of his political opponents, deep social and economic crisis and turning corruption into a state institution in the Republic of Karelia must become an indispensable condition of this investigation.

We demand that the unlawful und unjust decision must be cancelled and Svetlana Checil must be released immediately. The YABLOKO party will fight for the cancellation of the unlawful sentence at every possible way, observing the Construction and the laws of the Russian Federation.

Emilia Slabunova,

Chairperson of the YABLOKO party