Youth YABLOKO picketed Investigative Committee in support of detained ecologists of the Krasnodar Territory
Press Release, February 6, 2014
A serious of one-person pickets in support of the prosecuted ecologists of the Krasnodar Territory Yevgeny Vitishko, Suren Gazaryan and Irog Kharchenko was conducted outside the Investigative Committee. Chair of the Moscow branch of Youth Yabloko Oleg Naumov, former Bolotnaya Square case prisoner Nikolai Kavkazsky and YABLOKO’s activists participated in the action.
According to Youth YABLOKO activists, the persecution of the ecologists in the Krasnodar Territory became a practice. Some of them had to emigrate, others are facing the arrest.
On February 4 YABLOKO’s activist Igor Kharchenko was detained and given 5 days of imprisonment. On February 3 Evgeny Vitishko was convinced for 15 days of imprisonment for the “strong language” at a bus stop. Vitishko is targeted in the investigation of the so-called “damaging the fence of the Governor” case. In December 2013 Vitishko’s suspended sentence was changed into three years in a penal colony. The appeal will be investigated on February 22, 2014. Suren Gazaryan who is accused of the same case had to leave the country.
“I know Suren Gazaryan in person . He had to emigrate when his suspended sentence was under the risk to become real. I understand him very well as I was kept in the pre-trail detention centre, and it’s not a very pleasant place to stay. The authorities either arrest the activists or force them to emigrate,” said former Bolotnaya prisoner, Youth YABLOKO member Nikolai Kavkazsky.
Evgeny Vithishko himself is sure that the case against him is politically motivated and the hope for the change of the court decision is connected only with the international concern about the persecution of the ecologists before the Olympic Games.
We demand that our colleagues and friends should be release. We will participate in such actions until the situation changes, until they are released and until Alexandr Tkachev is the Governor,” said Oleg Naumov.
Youth YABLOKO is going to conduct pickets in support of the environmentalists daily until the end of the Olympic Games.
Posted: February 6th, 2014 under Human Rights, Protection of Environment.