Kirill Rumyantsev, deputy head of the Saratov branch of the liberal Yabloko party and a candidate for the State Duma, said he has been receiving death threats since August 6 demanding he withdraw from the race. Rumyantsev shared screenshots of the threats on his the source and filed a police complaint, stating he will not drop out.
Kirill Rumyantsev, the deputy head of the Saratov branch of the liberal Yabloko party and a candidate for the State Duma in the Balashov district, reported on Sunday that he and his family have been receiving threats since August 6. In a post on his the source, Rumyantsev shared screenshots of messages from a person identifying himself as 'Igor,' who sent a photo taken near his home along with a threat against his life and his mother's life if he continues to criticize the ruling United Russia party. Rumyantsev said he filed a police complaint and stressed he will not withdraw from the race.
The candidate also reported an additional phone call from an unknown person who initially 'politely asked' him to drop out, then escalated to threats, including planting drugs on him. In response, Rumyantsev publicly stated that he is law-abiding, does not use illegal drugs, has no health issues that could cause sudden death, and has no suicidal thoughts — a clarification aimed at preventing the possible exploitation of such events to present his death as an accident or suicide.
The Yabloko party, which advocates for an end to the war in Ukraine and liberal reforms, has faced significant obstacles from the Kremlin ahead of the September elections. As The Zioneer has reported, the Kremlin has refused to recognize Yabloko as a legitimate political force, and a lawsuit was filed to disqualify the party's candidate list. Rumyantsev called the threats 'beyond any acceptable limit' and said they undermine the foundations of the constitutional order, offering to debate his political opponents publicly instead of facing intimidation.
- DevelopingLawsuit filed to disqualify Yabloko party from Russian parliamentary elections
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