Statement by the Yabloko Bureau, 28.12.2021

Photo: 28 December, 2021. Grigory Yavlinsky by the Supreme Court / Photo by Ivan Vodopyanov, Kommersant

 The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation decided to liquidate International Memorial [human rights society]. The court revealed the real reason for the liquidation, and, certainly this was not a violation of the requirements of the general labeling of messages with the label of a “foreign agent” [as now required by the Russian law for “foreign agents”]. The Public Prosecutor General’s Office is outraged that Memorial allegedly “has been creating a false image of the USSR as a terrorist state”. But it was precisely the Stalinist state that was terrorist, unleashing terror against dozens of millions of its citizens.

Photo: 28 December, 2021. Nikolai Rybakov by the Supreme Court / Photo by Ivan Vodopyanov, Kommersant

The Stalinist repressions were repeatedly condemned and recognised as crimes by decisions of the state bodies of the USSR and Russia, starting with the decree of the President of the USSR No. 556 “On the restoration of the rights of all victims of political repressions of the 1920 – 1950s” of 13 August, 1990, and the Law of the Russian Federation No. 1761-1 “On the rehabilitation of victims of political repression” of 18 October, 1991, and ending with the Concept of the state policy to perpetuate the memory of victims of political repression (approved by the Order of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1561-r, dated 15 August, 2015).

Photo: 28 December, 2021. By the Supreme Court / Photo by Ivan Vodopyanov, Kommersant

The persistence with which the Putin state has been seeking to destroy Memorial, which keeps the memory of the Stalinist repressions, is due to the fact that the current government is building a state of the Stalinist type. Where a person does not mean anything against the background of “state interests”, and the authorities “do not make mistakes”. Therefore, everyone can become a victim of political repression at any moment.

Yabloko considers the decision to liquidate Memorial to be unjust and politically motivated. In fact, this is a justification for the Stalinist repressions, which are recognised as useful and reasonable, and those who condemn them are declared “extremists”. Making this decision, the Russian government actually recognises itself as the successor of the Stalinist state.

Yabloko believes that President Vladimir Putin bears personal responsibility for this decision, without his consent (or initiative) this decision could not have been made.

Yabloko believes that the decision of the Supreme Court should be overturned.

Nikolai Rybakov,

Yabloko Chairman