Press Release, 28.04.2021

Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

Chairman of the Yabloko Party Nikolai Rybakov sent a letter to Ella Pamfilova, Chair of the Central Electoral Commission, demanding to ensure the right of candidates to hold campaigning public events in connection with the upcoming elections of deputies to the State Duma.

In the spring of 2020, due to the threat of coronavirus infection, many Russian regions introduced bans on different mass events.

From June 2020 to January 2021, such bans were canceled due to an improvement in the epidemiological situation in many regions of Russia. For instance, such restrictions were lifted in Moscow. By Order of the Mayor of Moscow No. 68 “On the stages of lifting the restrictions imposed in connection with the introduction of the high alert regime” dated 08.06.2020 bans on all cultural, entertainment, sports and other events were lifted. However, the ban on holding public (virtually, political) events remained; the decree has not yet addressed such events.

Nikolai Rybakov noted that campaigning represents one of the main stages of an election campaign, and holding of campaigning public events, especially campaign pickets, is one of the important phases of campaiging.

“Everyone understands perfectly well that it is virtually impossible to conduct an efficient election campaign without holding pickets in the street, without distributing leaflets and newspapers. That is why, in many regions, including Moscow, the ban even on single pickets has not been lifted. The authorities’ reference to combating the spread of coronavirus infection and caring for the health of citizens is shameless. Because it turns out that one can gather dozens of thousands of faithful Vladimir Putin’s supporters without masks at a concert in a large stadium, but one can not hold a single picket against Putin’s policy. This is unfair, so we will fight for competitive elections!” Nikolai Rybakov said.

When some political forces have the ability to restrict others, this not only violates the right to full-fledged election campaigning, violates the constitutional rights of voters and candidates, but also discredits the entire electoral process.

Nikolai Rybakov demanded that the head of the Central Electoral Commission send submissions to the Office of Public Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation and the heads of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in order to stop the violation of electoral rights, and cancel the unconstitutional ban on political events during the election campaign.