Russia: one of the last opposition figures arrested in Moscow
Published on 29.6.2022 by Epoch Times with AFP
The opponent Ilia Iachine, one of the last figures of theopposition Russian still in Russia and at liberty, was arrested in Moscow, his lawyer Vadim Prokhorov said on Tuesday.
“According to the information at my disposal, he is accused of disobeying police orders”an offense punishable by 15 days in prison, wrote Mr. Prokhorov on Facebook, while indicating that he was not allowed to see his client.
According to him, a Moscow court could decide on Tuesday the fate of Mr. Yachine: incarceration, semi-freedom, release or house arrest.
The opponent was arrested on Monday while walking in a Moscow park, his friend, journalist Irina Babloïan, who was with him, said on Telegram.
During the great anti-Kremlin movement of 2011-2012
“They say he allegedly insulted (the police) and used swear words during the arrest. THIS IS NOT TRUE”, assured Ms. Babloïan, witness to the arrest.
Mr. Yachine has been a prominent figure for years in the opposition, especially during the great anti-Kremlin movement of 2011-2012.
He was close to Alexeï Navalny, the number 1 opponent in the Kremlin, who is now serving a nine-year prison sentence, and Boris Nemtsov, assassinated in 2015.
Denounced Russia’s military offensive against Ukraine
He is now an elected opposition representative in a municipal district of Moscow and has denounced Russia’s military offensive against Ukraine.
The repression of all anti-Kremlin movements and independent media in Russia has increased since this attack.
In particular, the Russian authorities have acquired a legal arsenal to allow the imposition of sentences of up to 15 years in prison on those who denounce the offensive against Ukraine.
Already before that, personalities critical of the Kremlin and the independent media were subject to administrative or judicial harassment.
