Press Release, August 9, 2013

Sergei Kolosovsky, lawyer of the Sverdlovsk Region YABLOKO leader Maxim Petlin, intends to appeal today’s decision of the Supreme Court to uphold the verdict for Maxim Petlin on the so-called “bribe case” launched against Petlin in the cause of his anti-corruption activities in the region. The Supreme Court has partially changed the verdict against Petlin’s assistant Andrei Panteleyev who has received a suspended sentence and will be released soon.

“As Panteleyev voiced his health problems, the court decided to mitigate his sentence, but we [with Maxim Petlin] insisted on Petlin’s complete innocence, so the court preferred to leave the sentence unchanged. But we will not stop and will appeal the verdict further. The next instance is the supervisory appeal to the Supreme Court, and then [we may apply to] the European Court of Human Rights,” said Sergey Kolosovsky.

On March 21, the Sverdlovsk Region Court sentenced Maxim Petlin to three years of imprisonment. Petlin was accused of allegedly demanding a 3,000,000 roubles bribe from ZAO Forum Group for his obligation to stop public protests against cutting of the city park by the company and building a shopping center in its place.

There is no doubt that prosecution of Petlin is connected with his political activities, as Petlin since 2009 has been engaged in anti-corruption activities. Thus, upon Petlin’s application, a criminal case was filed against the management of the Yekaterinburg Vodokanal company (a company providing water to consumers).

“The Supreme Court has proved once again that there is no justice in Russia. A political order from the regional government is more important for the judges than the rule of law,” said YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin.