On December 12, the YABLOKO party planned
to conduct a peaceful action in protection of the Utrish natural
reserve. This unique territory, which is threatened with total
destruction, owing to the planned construction of a presidential
residence and highway.
The Big Utrish reserve was created to protect
unique relict landscapes and juniper-pistachio forests, and
also the habitats of rare species of animals and plants. This
is one of the most significant protected natural territories
of Russia. The territory's reserve named Novorossiya was recognised
as one of the global centres for plant diversity. This year
the Russian Government issued a decision to establish the
Utrish reserve here.
Despite this fact, however, the safety of this unique territory
is now at risk. This is due to plans by the Administration
of the RF President to build in the very heart of the reserve
a new state residence (the project is entitled a "sports
and recreation complex"). Implementation of this project
will destroy the most valuable natural features of the reserve
– the district of the Utrish relict lagoons.
The police and city administration of Krasnodar
impeded with a concert “Let’s Save the Utrish Natural Reserve!”
which had to give start to a chain of events in protection
of the natural reserve.
An official from the city administration informed
YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin that a concert which had
been permitted by the administration earlier should not be
conducted as a children’s concert would be conducted on the
same site.
The concert did take place but in a different location. Sergei
Mitrokhin made a speech before the gathering at the end of
the concert, “We are defending several articles of our Constitution
on the Constitution Day. These are the right to a favourable
environment and the right to conduct peaceful demonstrations.”
About 300 people participated in the demonstration under
YABLOKO’s flags. The demonstrators held slogans “Utrish should
live!” “Yes to the Utrish natural reserve!” “Utirish is a
world heritage!” “President’s place is in the Kremlin, leave
Utrish for the country!”
However, the police broke the peaceful demonstration considering
the demonstration unlawful despite of the fact that YABLOKO
had timely notified the administration of the action. Later
during a rally the police detained members of YABLOKO’s Green
Russia faction Andrei Rudomakha and Suren Gazaryan and environmental
activists Dmitry Shevchenko and Dmitry Shabalin. The detention
was conducted with grave violations of the law “On Police”,
with the use of physical force and special means [of suppression].
“On the Constitution Day the Krasnodar administration serving
for the Governor demonstrated its arbitrary rule. We are defending
our right on favourable environment, the right to life and
rallies,” said Sergei Mitrokhin speaking at the rally. Sergei
Mitrokhin and the participants of the rally went to the police
department where arrested environmentalists were held.
Shevchenko and Gazaryan were unlawfully detained in the police
department of Krasnodar for three hours until arrival of a
lawyer and YABLOKO’s leader there. Gazaryan was beaten and
unlawfully held in handcuffs for three hours.
"Authorities, obey the law!"
The police released the activists only upon arrival of Sergei
Mitrokhin and Chair of the Krasnodar YABLOKO Vladimir Rakhno
to the police department.
Photogpraphs by Yu.Vlasov, Editor-in-Chief
of the Krasnodar-Da! paper
See also:
YABLOKO calls on journalists
to visit the Utrish nature reserve that has been threatened
with destruction. Press Release, December 8, 2010.
Police detained YABLOKO's
activists during an action in defence of the national park.
Press Release, December 5, 2010
Protection
of Environment
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