Press Release, 20.06.2014

Police have just arrested YABLOKO’s activists who work at the mobile reception office of the party in the Strogino district, Moscow. YABLOKO’s municipal deputy Grigory Semyonov have also been detained. The activists have been taken to a police department to give evidence.

Captain Igor Molis considered the work of the mobile reception office a picket and found it a violation of law. The captain didn’t like the fact that the activists wore jackets with YABLOKO logo.

“The aim of the reception office is to collect the appeals of the citizens, help them, give legal aid and inform about YABLOKO’s work. It can’t be considered a picket,” said deputy Chair of the Moscow branch of YABLOKO, candidate for Moscow City Duma deputy Irina Kopkina.

“The Mayor’s office take revenge for the fact that we nominated an independent list of candidates [for the elections to the Moscow City Duma],” commented Sergei Mitrokhin.

Irina Kopkina said the mobile reception office had been working for half a year already and had had no problems with police.

“The cases when police confiscates YABLOKO’s information material have become frequent. They claim that we carry unlawful activity. The information materials were confiscated in the Basmanny, Krilatsky and Strogino districts of Moscow. We’ve sent a number of appeals to Prosecutor General’s office and cross-district Prosecutor’s office,” she said.
UPD.
The activists were released soon. Grigory Semyonov said that field duty officer Andrey Synelshchikov told them that their chiefs ordered to detain YABLOKO’s activists and conduct a check.

We’ve been working in the Strogino district for three weeks already and had no troubles. Now the campaign started. And some higher-ups gave orders that YABLOKO’s activity in the district is unwanted,” said Grigory Semyonov.

He also said that a group of young people tried to buy all YABLOKO’s information materials the day before though the activists gave it out for free.

See also:
YABLOKO launches a mobile reception office