The leader of Yabloko in Irkutsk, who tried to organise a protest against internet blocking, has been detained for 12 days.

A court in Shelekhov, a town near Irkutsk in eastern Siberia, has found Grigory Gribenko, head of the regional Yabloko party branch, guilty of disobeying the police (part 1, article 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses) and sentenced him to 12 days’ detention. This was reported by activist Pavel Kharitonenko on his Telegram channel.

Yesterday afternoon, Gribenko’s home was searched under the pretext of looking for drugs. After the search, the politician was taken to the police station. The police accused Gribenko of failing to comply with their demands.

According to a post by human rights activist Svyatoslav Khromenkov, it appears that the politician’s refusal to let law enforcement officers into his flat was considered disobedience. Gribenko says he initially did not realise that people in masks and civilian clothes were police officers, but after establishing their identity, he let them in and showed his passport.

The police had already detained Gribenko on 10 April. On that occasion, he was required to undergo a medical examination. The city drug clinic claimed that traces of marijuana had been found in his system. Later the same day, tests at a private clinic found nothing.

Previously, the politician had tried to organise a protest in Irkutsk against internet blocking; after being refused permission by the city authorities, he filed a lawsuit against them.

On 27 April, Gribenko was detained not under the article on disobedience to police, but under the article concerning refusal to undergo medical examination (part 1, article 6.9 of the Code of Administrative Offenses), activist Pavel Kharitonenko clarified.

The police suggested he undergo the medical check at the station itself but he refused due to distrust following the previous test results at the drug clinic.

The press service of the courts of general jurisdiction in Irkutsk region reported that Gribenko was also ordered to undergo “diagnostics, preventive measures, treatment for drug dependence and/or medical and/or social rehabilitation in connection with the use of narcotic substances.”

The court has not yet considered the police disobedience protocol against Gribenko.