Press Release, 01.04.2021

Photo: Svetlana Lelyukhina / Photo from the official website of the Yuzhsky municipal district of the Ivanovo region

The Ivanovo branch of Yabloko intends to appeal to the Public Prosecutor’s office of the Ivanovo region with a demand to remove from office Svetlana Lelyukhina, acting the head of the Yuzhsky district of the Ivanovo region.

The bureau of the Ivanovo regional branch of the Yabloko party disposes of a document signed by the official, addressed to the heads of the structural divisions of the local administration, subordinate institutions, as well as to other officials, somehow dependent on the regional authorities. In the letter, Svetlana Lelyukhina categorically demands to oblige employees to register in the mobile applications Vverkh (Up) and Agitator (Campaigner), as well as to report “on the registration done” by 24 March, 2021.

The mobile applications specified in the letter are electronic platforms of the pro-government’s United Russia party and are targeted at mobilization of socially and financially dependent categories of citizens (employees of budgetary organisations, officials, etc.) to vote for United Russia in the upcoming elections to the State Duma.

The Ivanovo regional branch of the Yabloko party regards this letter as a gross violation of the federal law “On State Civil Service in the Russian Federation”. A municipal employee, who Ms. Lelyukhina is, has no right to interfere in the activities of political parties, nor does she have the right to compel third parties to participate or refuse to participate in such activities.