YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin was detained
by police at a picket by the administration of one of the
South-Eastern District of Moscow. The picketers demanded to
close a cement plant in Pechatniki district.
The plant is situated by the Moskva-River embankment. Local
residents say the district has been growing and new blocks
of flats have been built already very close to the functioning
plant. “We breathe in the cement power,” they say.
In 2003 the plan of the district development envisaged a
park that had to be made on the place of the plant which had
to be moved to an industrial zone. However, the plant is still
functioning in the residential district.
YABLOKO’s activists held placards demanding to close the
plant.
In 20 minutes police arrived and demanded the picketers to
leave the place. Also the police carefully studied the allowance
obtained for the picket from the local authorities in accordance
with the law.
YABLOKO applied for a permission to conduct a picket in de
time and in compliance with the law. However, the local administration
examined the application longer than three days allowed for
such decision-making by law, and finally changed the address
and the time of the action. However, when YABLOKO’s activists
were about to conduct the action at this address, the police
came and prohibited to conduct picketing there. After that
the activists decided to return to the first address indicated
in their application.
The policemen arriving to this address called their chief
who after a sort discussion with Sergei Mitrokhin detained
him and took him to the local police station. After filing
a protocol of administrative offense the policemen unlawfully
demanded that Mitrokhin should hand them all the things out
of his pockets, which he refused to do.
YABLOKO’s leader has been detained for over 3 hours already
(a maximum term envisaged for such detention by law) in the
police department. He is accused of participation in an unsanctioned
picket.
See also:
Human
Rights
Freedom
of Assembly
Protection
of Environment
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