Press Release, 14.01.2020

The police in Yekaterinburg opened a criminal case under Article 119 Part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (threat of death or serious bodily harm) at the request of the assistant to Konstantin Kiselyov, deputy of the Yekaterinburg City Duma.  Such answers came to Emilia Slabunova, ex Yabloko Chair and member of Yabloko’s Federal Political Committee, from the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Main Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Sverdlovsk region.

The police emphasise that operational-search and investigative measures are currently being conducted to identify the person who committed the crime.

Earlier, Konstantin Kiselyov was informed by law enforcement agencies that two criminal cases would be instituted on the fact of threats to his family and the deputy’s assistant – one under Article 119 Part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on threats to his assistant, and the second under Article 119 Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on threats to members of his family.

Konstantin Kiselyov told to Yabloko’s Press Service that he received extremely contradictory information from law enforcement agencies: on the one hand, the Public Prosecutor General’s Office informed the deputy that a criminal case had actually been opened, on the other hand, local law enforcement officers informed him that the materials had only been transferred to the Investigative Committee, which has to decide whether to institute proceedings or not.

“Certainly, it is impossible to leave threats simply unpunished. I intend to clarify the information whether the law enforcement agencies are working for us, or they will try to soft-pedal the case,” Konstantin Kiselyov said.

“If the information is really confirmed that the investigation is under way and the necessary operational measures and actions are being taken, I will welcome this and contribute as much as I can. If not, then I will send letters to the Public Prosecutor General, Regional Public Prosecutor and City Public Prosecutor  with a request to clarify whether the police are inactive or not,” he added.

The deputy thanked the Yabloko party and its leaders for their support.

It should be noted that on 20 November, the wife, the mother-in-law and the assistant of Konstantin Kiselyov, deputy of the Yekaterinburg City Council and Chairman of the Yabloko faction, received threats with murder. The relatives of the deputy and his assistant were called from a telephone number unfamiliar to them and were threatened with murder and violence against children.

Chair of the Yabloko party Emilia Slabunova appealed to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Public Prosecutor of the Sverdlovsk region in connection with threats to the family and the assistant of Konstantin Kiselyov, Chairman of the Yabloko faction in the Yekaterinburg City Duma. She asked heads of law enforcement agencies to take the investigation under their personal control and ensure the most transparent investigation, identify the perpetrators and appointment fair punishment for those who committed this crime.