Statement by the Yabloko party, 13.08.2020

The Yabloko Party expresses solidarity with the citizens of Belarus protesting against the unfair election of the head of state and the usurpation of power by Alexander Lukashenko. The suppression of legitimate protests by brutal force, the brutality of the security forces, blood and violence in the streets of Belarusian cities must not go unpunished.

We also demand from the Belarusian authorities to immediately release the Russian citizens detained during the protest actions, including journalists of the Russian media fulfilling their professional duty, public figures and civil activists.

We are convinced that no considerations of realpolitik on the part of the Russian authorities should justify the existence of such regimes as the dictatorship of Lukashenko and cooperation with them.

Taking into account the experience of mutual borrowing by Alexander Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin of authoritarian government practices and the technologies of retention of power, the harsh dispersal of dissent can be used in a similar situation in our country.

The task and responsibility of Yabloko in the context of the developments taking place in the neighbouring state is to do everything possible to prevent such a scenario in Russia, offer to the society a meaningful alternative to the existing regime and work for a bloodless transit of power within the framework of democratic procedures.

The peoples of Russia and Belarus deserve a different government and the right to change it through legal civilised procedures. We sincerely wish the brotherly Belarusian people to achieve fair and competitive elections and a peaceful change of power in the country.

Nikolai Rybakov,

Yabloko Chairman