Press Release, 11.08.2019

According to Valery Kostenok, Yabloko member, eight people rang at the door of the apartment where he lives and presented themselves as the Investigative Committee. They said that they have a search warrant and asked to open, otherwise, they promised to break the door.

Kostenok asked them to wait for his lawyer, who should arrive within an hour. Investigators first agreed to wait, but then began breaking the door to the apartment.  Valery Kostenok was forced to let them into the apartment before the lawyer arrived. As expected, the search was connected with the criminal case of “riots” filed in connection with Moscow protests against the refusal of the authorities to register candidates who are independent from the Mayor’s Office in the election to the Moscow City Duma.

Valery Kostenok was taken for interrogation to the office of the Investigative Committee for Moscow (Novokuznetskaya 26/8).

This information comes from Kirill Goncharov, unregistered Yabloko candidate for elections to the Moscow City Duma. Kostenok was a volunteer in his election headquarters.

Valery Kostenok was detained during an action in Trubnaya Square, Moscow, on 27 July, and spent two days in the police department. He suggests that the search may be related to a criminal riot case filed in connection with protests against the refusal of the authorities to register independent candidates in the election to the Moscow city parliament.

The Yabloko party has provided a lawyer to Valery and will do everything to protect him, said party Nikolai Rybakov, Deputy Chairman of the party.