Leader Yabloko St. Petersburg detained
07 March 2008
Bureau of St Petersburg Yabloko branch.
Statement
We are absolutely sure, that Maxim Reznik is innocent.
We consider that the criminal cas has been initiated by the authorities in order to disorganize activities of not St Petersburg Yabloko only, but activities of oppositional and democratic forces as a whole, where Maxim is a key person. This is happening before the conference “The new agenda for democratic movement in Russia”, and Maxim is the Chairman of organizational committee of the Conference.
We evaluate the Reznik’s imprisonment as a glaring example of police state attack on the civil society. It is symptomatic, that the new wave of political repressions began right after the presidential election – any citizen can be a victim.
We are indignant about the unfair decision by the court, which chooses the “preventive punishment” absolutely inadequate even to “the crimes” which Reznik is suspected of. The claim that well-known politician and respected in St Petersburg person will, being free, “press on investigation” is absurd.
We call for immediate change of preventive punishment for a written undertaking not to leave St Petersburg. We believe that it is needed to ensure the independent and objective investigation.
We call everybody who does not want Russia to come back in awful times of “political trials” to give a voice of protest and to insist on immediate Reznik’s discharge.
St Petersburg, March, 4, 2008
