Press Release, 25.12.2019

The Elisata Court assigned 30 hours of compulsory community service to Batyr Boromangnaev, Chairman of the Kalmyk branch of Yabloko, for organization and conducting the rally on 27 October. Earlier, the politician received 25 hours of compulsory community service as the organiser of the gathering on 29 September, and another 20 hours for participation in the prayer on 1 October. In total, the court assigned 75 hours of compulsory work to the leader of the Kalmyk Yabloko.

Ten residents of Elista responded to the call to help Batyr Boromangnaev to clean the city. According to Yabloko activists, the manifestation of solidarity with Boromangnaev became a new form of protest.

“For participation in the protests in Elista, Judge of the Elista City Court found me guilty of an offense under Part 2 of Article 20.2 of the Administrative Code, and sentenced to 30 hours of compulsory community service. Despite any legal arguments and references to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the European Convention of Human Rights, clarifications of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, the Code of Administrative Offenses, and the Federal Law No 54, ”the Chairman of the Republican branch of Yabloko said.

Batyr Boromangnaev emphasised that the decisions of the Elista and other republican courts violate the decision of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation of February 14, 2013, according to which “compulsory communal services can be used as an administrative punishment for the offenses provided for in Articles 20.2, 20.2 .2 and 20.18 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, in only they have caused harm to the health of citizens, property of individuals or legal entities, or other similar consequences”.

The politician noted that he was thinking of appealing against unlawful court decisions up to the European Court of Human Rights.

It should be noted that on 26 September, Dmitry Trapeznikov, a native of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, was appointed acting head of the Elista administration. A significant part of the city’s residents believes that Trapeznikov has nothing to do with Kalmykia, and also does not meet the requirements for the post of Mayor of the regional capital, in addition, many people perceive Trapeznikov’s activity in Donbass very negatively.

On 13 October, about 4,000 residents of Elista came to a rally (which was permitted by the authorities) against the appointment of a new acting head of the administration of the capital of Kalmykia. The applicant and one of the organisers of the rally was the Kalmyk regional branch of the Yabloko party.

Batyr Boromangnaev, Chairman of the Kalmyk branch of Yabloko, gave an interview in which he spoke in detail about the reasons for the protest against the appointment of Trapeznikov, and also commented on the political situation in Kalmykia.