Human rights defenders Svetlana Gannushkina and Valery Borshchyov addressed Yabloko with such an appeal

Statement by Grigory Yavlinsky headquarters, 17.03.2018

We learned from journalists of Novaya Gazeta that Alexei Navalny decided to send observers to the Chechen Republic for the election of the Russian president on 18 March, 2018.

For this purpose, [observers] orders issued by one of the official representatives of Grigory Yavlinsky were used. At the same time, the fact that it is planned [by Navalny] to send the observers to Chechnya was concealed from Yabloko.

We believe that these citizens recommended to observers are not sufficiently aware of the sad specifics of the region, which, unfortunately, demonstrates that cases of threats to the life and health of any independent activists, and especially those who have no relevant knowledge and long working experience [in Chechnya], are very common. Navalny’s headquarters did not conduct any special trainings with them on the specifics of monitoring in the Chechen Republic, and refuses to tell journalists if they have worked out any security system of observers, saying only that it is “their choice” and that they “go there voluntarily, like adults”.

Svetlana Gannushkina and Valery Borshchyov, official representatives of candidate Grigory Yavlinsky and human rights activists, appealed to Yabloko, calling such sending of observers [to Chechnya] irresponsible, meaningless and endangering the security of both these people and permanent residents of the Chechen Republic, who out of respect for candidate Grigory Yavlinsky would help them. They ask the headquarters to take a decision canceling sending of observers to the Chechen Republic.

Realising that there may be danger in the Chechen Republic for both the citizens recommended as observers and possible third parties – no matter what good statements the leadership of the [Chechen] Republic has made on this matter – and believing that the life and health of people is above all, and that we, and not somebody else, bear responsibility for them, the Yabloko headquarters cancels sending of observers to the Chechen Republic and cancels the powers of the official representative who issued orders for them.

Nikolai Rybakov

Head of Grigory Yavlinsky headquarters