STATEMENT
of the European Party of Ukraine
regarding the detention of the leader of the party “Yabloko” (Russian Federation) Serhiy Mitrokhin
Since 2010, the party “Yabloko” (Russian Federation), has been an officially registered political party of modern Russia with a social-liberal orientation and our partners in the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE). Annually on the 7th of November the party carried out the event to honor the memory of cadets and officers who were killed in clashes with Bolsheviks in 1917. The party wants to ensure that this would become a state tradition, and the fallen cadets and officers’ names would be immortalized on a memorial plaque.
Today’s event ended with the arrest of the leader of the party “Yabloko” Serhiy Mitrokhin, who was accused in its unauthorized conduction, what is, to put it mildly, an absolute absurd.
In this regard, the European Party of Ukraine expresses its support for the leader of the Russian liberals and considers this event as an integral component of the formation of the democracy foundations of in Russia. We hope that the white flower, that has already become a symbol of freedom and independence for minority, would become an essential attribute of millions of Russians and would initiate the establishment of European values in their country. In addition, we call upon other European liberal parties to support Serhiy Mitrokhin and his political force in an effort to be independent in a totalitarian country. What is a common phenomenon in a free country can be regarded as a feat in Russia, as well as the event led by the leader of the party “Yabloko”.
Unfortunately, the European Party of Ukraine can not influence the application of preventive measures to the Russian citizens, but feels obliged to express the support for those, who stand for the principles of European freedom and democracy. We consider this action as the beginning of a long journey of freedom-loving Russians on their way to building a newly democratic Russia.
The leader of the European Party of Ukraine
Mykola Katerynchuk