Press Release, 17.12.2020

Photo: Yabloko deputies of the Pskov Regional Assembly Artur Gaiduk and Lev Shlosberg

Gaiduk and Lev Shlosberg, Yabloko MPs in the Pskov Regional Assembly, sent an appeal to the Investigative Committee of Russia demanding to initiate a criminal case on the fact of encroachment on the life of public figure Alexei Navalny

In a statement addressed to Alexander Bastrykin, head of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Artur Gaiduk and Lev Shlossberg refer to an investigation conducted by the independent international group Bellingcat and The Insider with the participation of the NGO Anti-Corruption Foundation.

Simultaneously the corresponding materials were also published by Der Spiegel (Germany) and El Pais  (Spain) and also released by the CNN TV channel (the U.S.).

According to the results of the investigation, at least eight employees of the secret unit of the Federal Security Service of Russia operating under the cover of the Institute of Forensic Science of the Federal Security Service of Russia were involved in the attempt of poisoning the politician.

“We are asking the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation to initiate a criminal case on the grounds of a crime under Article 277 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Encroachment on the life of a state or public figure, committed in order to terminate his/her state or other political activities or out of revenge for such activity”, on the fact of encroachment on the life of public figure Alexei Anatolyevich Navalny,” the document runs.

The Pskov regional parliamentarians note that the practices of any violent influence on opposition statesmen and public figures are criminal. Any attempts to silence opponents of the current state authorities, deprive them of the opportunity to participate in public life, make political activity punishable and mortally dangerous for citizens, are categorically unacceptable.

Artur Gaiduk and Lev Shlosberg also ask the Investigative Committee to inform them about the results of the check and the adopted procedural decision.

Earlier, a similar statement addressed to the head of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov was sent by deputies of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg Boris Vishnevsky (Yabloko), Mikhail Amosov (Movement for Democratic Renewal) and Maxim Reznik (Party of Growth), as well as parliamentarians of the Legislative Assembly of Karelia Ivan Gusev and Emilia Slabunova (Yabloko).

Commenting on the submitted application, Lev Shlosberg wrote in his Telegram channel: “The attempted murder of Alexei Navalny is a terrorist act. The main target of terror is not the victims themselves (although as regards politicians, this is always a personally oriented action), but the effect of public fear that an act of terror produces. Fear is the largest and longest-lasting weapon of terror.

It must be remembered that the Federal Security Service initially grew out of the VChK [the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counter-Revolution, Speculation, and Sabotage], which from the first day of its creation was a state terrorist organisation of the Bolshevik government. All the “birthmarks” of this organisation passed to the [present] Federal Security Service. This organisation has never been concerned with questions of lawfulness. It grew up on the blood of millions of victims and does not regret it.”

According to Lev Shlosberg, “the attempted assassination of Alexei Navalny is a direct message to all those who disagree with the authorities, all the dissenting and acting differently: if you don’t yield, we will kill you. This crime has no territoriality – it bears a global, nation-wide character ”.

The regional parliamentarian from Yabloko notes that “not a single State Duma deputy has demanded the initiation of a criminal case so that to investigate the attempted murder of Navalny. This means that there are no deputies in the State Duma, but only servants of the criminal regime”.

“I have no doubt that the Investigative Committee knows everything. Let them react. And we will publish the received answers. Society should know not only the names of the criminals, but also the names of those who cover up the crimes.

Nothing passes on the earth without a trace. All crimes are solved sooner or later, the names of the perpetrators and customers become known. We remind everyone who can read and understand what is happening of this,” Lev Shlosberg says.