Press Release, 07.05.2014

Lev Shlosberg, Deputy of the Pskov Region Legislative Assembly and Chair of the regional branch of YABLOKO, and Alexander Zakharov, his assistant and member of the Youth Parliament under the Regional Parliament, began litigation against the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (GTRK) on a libel case against YABLOKO, as head of the news agency didn’t provide him the lawful right to comment false reports and defamation broadcasted by the television channel.

The Pskov Department of the Media Agency had spread libel on the party claiming that YABLOKO had been financed from abroad and had misrepresented the political stance of the party trying to form the image of the “foe of the nation”. The information was further reproduced by other media.

Lev Shlosberg brought criminal cases against the authors of all the publications containing false information.

The GTRK television company released a news item based on the news broadcasted nationwide stating that Shlosberg’s assistant Alexander Zakharov participated in the training on political PR held in Warsaw in mid-March 2014. This seminar was presented as a “training for those who would participate in the revolution in Kiev”. This item, as well as statements of Lev Shlosberg made to the media in connection with the events in Crimea and Ukraine on inadmissibility of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and meddling into the affairs of another state became the subject of intense debate in political circles in the region and accusations against members of the regional branch of YABLOKO in “anti-state activities”.

Based on the Pskov Information Agency reports