Press Release, 1.04.2015

On 2 April YABLOKO will hold pickets at the Representative Office of the Republic of Karelia in Moscow, demanding the release of arrested members of the opposition: Olga Zakletskaya and and Alexandra Kornilova. YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin will also take part in the picketing.

Also in Karelia pickets will be held in front of the Government of Karelia on this day. The action is organized by Dmitry Rybakov, YABLOKO Bureau member and Karelian activist.

Dmitry Rybakov also filed an application to hold a rally under the slogan “No to Political Reprisals” on 9 April.

Deputy of the Petrograd Soviet Olga Zaletsky and director of “Lentorg” Alexander Kornilov were arrested last week.

Olga Zaletskaya, deputy of Pertozavodsk City Council and Alexandra Kornilova, director of the Lentorng trade network, were detained in Petrozavodsk last week.

The criminal case involving Zaletskaya and Kornilov has no judicial perspective: Zaletskaya is accused of signing a contract for the sale of a municipal building at an allegedly low price. However, Zaletskaya signed the contract for the sale of the building only after she was obliged to make it by the court.

Ella Pamfilova, Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia, yesterday sent a telegramme to Yuri Baboydo, head of the Investigative Committee of Karelia, demanding to change the measure of restraint for Olga Zakletskaya and Alexandra Kornilova.

In the past year Karelia saw a huge number of criminal cases raised against political opponents of Governor Alexander Khudilainen: both members of the YABLOKO party and politicians not related to our party.

YABLOKO Bureau called President of Russia to dismiss Alexander Khudilainen from his post.

International community sent solidarity statements to Olga Zaletskaya and Alexandra Kornilova.

The Moscow action will take place at Armyanskiy pereulok 9 on 2 April at 12:00.