Belgorod human rights defender holds picket in support of Yabloko

Activist Ilya Kostyukov staged a solo picket in central Belgorod, holding a sign that read “For Peace and Freedom! For Yabloko!” He was a candidate on the party's federal list for the State Duma election.

Kostyukov held the picket near the monument to Bogdan Khmelnitsky. Shortly after it began, he was asked to come to a police station to identify a phone he had left with a friend. He was soon released and returned to continue his picket.

Last week, Kostyukov asked the police to investigate acting Belgorod Oblast Governor Alexander Shuvaev for displaying prohibited symbols. Earlier, videos showing runes on military patches had appeared on Shuvaev's Telegram channel. Belgorod Oblast residents have been fined several times for displaying similar runes, including for a sticker on a car and patches placed in the window of a military clothing store.

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