In Russia’s Far East, spreading the wave of protest and puts the Kremlin under pressure. On Saturday, once again, tens of thousands went in Khabarovsk on the street to demonstrate against the arrest of their regional Governor. Officially, there were 10.000, credible observers were between 35,000 and 50,000, a new record for the city of over 600.000 inhabitants, on the border with China. The protesters shouted “Khabarovsk will not be silent” and “Furgal is our choice”. Sergey Furgal, the Governor, was on 9. July by agents of the intelligence service FSB, and according to Moscow, flown to have been taken, where he is imprisoned. Furgal is organized as a young business man in front of one and a half decades, the murder of “a number of businessmen”, which he rejects.
Friedrich Schmidt
Political correspondent for Russia and the CIS in Moscow.
F. A. Z.
protesters and observers, the allegations are considered to be retribution for that Furgal was elected in 2018 against the wishes of the Kremlin: The candidate for the Kremlin-loyal “liberal democratic party” (LDPR) of the riot politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky had triumphed in a Protest vote against an increase in the retirement age, and falling real incomes. In the case of the chabarow core, the feel of Moscow is neglected, is Furgal, in the meantime, as a people, the near problem-solver popular. The Kremlin is alarmed that the power party “United Russia” in 2019, was in the regional Parliament elections in Khabarovsk under. In addition, President Putin’s reform of the Constitution achieved a relatively bad result of the vote.
The state television remains silent on the protests in Khabarovsk. There, gathered on Sunday once again, and already the ninth day in a row, supporters Furgals. The authorities have called for, not to the unauthorized protests and stir up the fear of infection with the Coronavirus. In addition, the FSB said, to have a man arrested who wanted to commit in Khabarovsk a terrorist attack. All this did not prevent the inflow. So far, the police does not resolve the peaceful meetings in Khabarovsk. Especially should the power-holders to fall, the protests to other cities in the far East expanded, where it came to solidarity rallies. Three were from Vladivostok arrests reported.
The Kremlin is seeking to relaxation. Usually Putin dismisses arrested governors “because of trust loss”, Furgal, however, was still at the weekend, formally in the office. Zhirinovsky expressed, will not Furgal acquitted, will you insist that he return to the office. In contrast, the protesters are calling for a “fair process” in Khabarovsk, not Moscow.
