 Source: HRO.org (info) In Pskov deputies of the United Russia fraction in the regional legislative assembly have asked the region’s prosecutor to ‘investigate the source of income’ of Lev Shlosberg, leader of the local branch of the Yabloko party and a prominent journalist and civic activist. Radio Svoboda reports that the appeal to the Pskov region prosecutor was read out at the latest session of the regional assembly by the leader of the United Russia fraction, Valentin Kalensky. Before that the deputies were shown a video footage about the investigation of the assault on Mr Shlosberg, which was broadcast in mid-September by TV channel Rossiya 1. Kalensky claimed that the information contained in this footage, in his opinion and that of his colleagues, proves that Lev Shlosberg was engaged in activities incompatible with the status of deputy. The Regnum news agency reports that members of United Russia have alleged that Lev Shlosberg, who is director of the NGO Renaissance Centre for Social Planning, according to evidence they cite, receives funding from foreign organizations. At the same time a deputy who works fulltime cannot engage in business or other paid work, except teaching, research, or artistic production. But scientific and artistic work cannot, allegedly, be paid for from foreign funds, Pskov deputies claim with no basis in law. The prosecutor accepted the deputies’ request, pointing out that a review is already underway regarding a similar (!) statement from the head of the LDPR fraction, Sergei Makarchenko, that has been received by his office. On the evening of 29 August Lev Shlosberg was attacked by unidentified persons in Pskov. Shlosberg was severely injured and hospitalized. An official investigation on the basis of the article of the Criminal Code that concerns ‘intentional infliction of harm causing a minor impairment to health by an act of hooliganism’ has begun. Leader of the Yabloko party Sergei Mitrokhin called the attack on Lev Shlosberg, who is also publisher of the newspaper Pskovskaya guberniya, an ‘act of political revenge’. Human rights activists and Shlosberg’s colleagues from the Yabloko party believe that the attack on him was connected with the newspaper’s investigation into the deaths of Pskov paratroopers in Ukraine. Translated by Olga Cable |
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