MOSCOW | Elected communist officials from the Primorsky region of Russia’s Far East called for an end to the offensive in Ukraine during a local assembly session on Friday, before being stripped of the right to vote.
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This is the first time such an initiative has been launched by elected members of the Communist Party, a formation supporting the attack launched on February 24 on orders from President Vladimir Putin.
During that meeting, MP Leonid Vasyukevich, who is a member of the Russian Communist Party (KPRF), stood up and read an address to President Vladimir Putin, despite several attempts by other elected officials and the region’s governor, who was also present at the meeting. to shut him up.
“A few days ago at a session of the Legislative Assembly of the Primorsky Krai, a number of measures in support of the families of soldiers who died during the military operation were adopted,” he said, according to the video of the session published on the YouTube account of the Assembly.
“We understand that if our country does not stop war operations, there will be more orphans. During the military operation, people are disabled, these are young people who could bring a lot to our country,” he continued.
“We demand an immediate withdrawal of Russian troops,” he concluded, earning some applause.
The region’s governor, Oleg Kojemiako, then demanded that Mr. Vassioukevich and another communist deputy, Gennady Shulga, who had supported him after speaking, be stripped of his clothes, accusing them of “discrediting the Russian army (…) which is against.” fight Nazism”. , it says in the video also posted online by the newspaper “Kommersant”.
These two deputies were then deprived of their right to vote by the Assembly for the day by 27 votes in favor and 5 against. The leader of the communist group in this assembly, Anatoly Dolgachev, then denounced his colleagues and promised the “severest (retaliatory) measures”.
The Russian authorities have greatly increased their pressure and legal arsenal, making it possible to punish anyone found guilty of “discrediting” the army or publishing “false information” about it with hefty fines or imprisonment.