In several Russian regions, security forces came with searches to opposition politicians allegedly associated with ex-State Duma deputy Ilya Ponomarev

On Thursday morning, it became known about searches in the homes of several Russian opposition politicians. In particular, the security forces came to associate professor of Moscow State University and former candidate for State Duma deputy Mikhail Lobanov, Moscow municipal deputies Galina Filchenko and Nodari Khananashvili, and editor-in-chief of the St. Petersburg edition of Ladoga Alexander Kalinin.

The RIA Novosti agency published a video in which security forces break open the door to Lobanov's apartment, and then lay him and his wife face down on the floor. The state agency accompanied this footage with a comment that the searches were taking place "at the homes of former MP Ilya Ponomarev's associates." Ponomarev himself, whom the Russian authorities have included in the list of extremists and terrorists, in a commentary to SOTA denied any connection with them.

“I think they are trying to intimidate people before the third Congress [of People's Deputies]. They understand the threat from this organization and want to strangle it. <...> I think this is precisely part of the strategy of intimidation, so that people do not even communicate with any of the congress deputies, ”Ponomarev said.

A statement also appeared on Lobanov's telegram channel, stating that there was no connection between him and Ponomarev. “Mikhail does not know and does not have any contacts with Ponomarev, whose criminal case is used by the security forces to legalize searches,” the statement says. The screenshots of the correspondence between Lobanov and Ponomarev published by the pro-government telegram channels the day before were called “a ridiculous fake”.

In turn, Alexander Kalinin, in the footage published by RT, answering questions from the security forces about participation in the "Congress of People's Deputies" held outside Russia, says that he did not sign the statements of the congress and only spoke online at it in November.

The Agency publication clarifies that Kalinin and Filchenko actually spoke at the Congress of People's Deputies in November, and on the Morning of February channel, associated with Ponomarev, they were represented as delegates to the congress. It is not known whether Mundep Khananashvili participated in the Congress, but he regularly appears in the programs on February Morning.

In December last year, the security forces already came with a search to Lobanov as part of the case on the spread of "fake news", which was initiated against Ponomarev. During the search, Lobanov, according to him, was beaten, and then the court arrested him for 15 days under the article on "disobedience to the police."

In 2007-2016, Ilya Ponomarev was a deputy of the Russian State Duma. He later left the country, and in 2019 received Ukrainian citizenship. After the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, Ponomarev repeatedly spoke on behalf of the National Republican Army (NRA), which, among other things, claimed responsibility for the assassination attempts on Daria Dugin and Vladlen Tatarsky, as well as on behalf of the "Legion" Freedom of Russia " ”, which allegedly consists of Russians fighting on the side of Ukraine. Ponomarev was also one of the organizers of the "Congress of People's Deputies" in Poland, which was attended by former Russian deputies of various levels from Russia. Ponomarev himself had previously been arrested in absentia by a Russian court on charges of spreading "fake news" about the Russian army.

Sources: Mikhail Lobanov , SOTA , RIA Novosti , Agency

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