| Kirill Gontcharov, leader of the Moscow Youth YABLOKO,
and environmentalist Sergei Menzhitsky were sentenced to five
days of imprisonment for alleged physical resistance to police
orders. They were detained in Divnomorskoye village at the
Black Sea.
On June 24 Kirill Gontcharov, leader of the Moscow Youth
YABLOKO and environmentalists Sergei Menzhitsky and Konstantin
Andramonov were detained in Divnomorskoye village at the Black
Sea. YABLOKO had launched an action All-Russia Protest Against
the Stolen Black Sea Coast protesting against unlawful and
illegal construction of cottages (especially for top officials)
in the national parks and turning of public beaches and territories
into their private beaches and territories.
On June 25 the activists planned to conduct a rally by Putins
dacha (Putins country cottage). And on June 24 they inspected
the national park of the relict Pitsunda pine (as it has been
detected previously that part of the relict trees were cut
for construction of the Governors residence).
The activists also conducted a rally by the residence of
the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church built on the
national park. Environmentalists inspection ended in the
Dzhankhot village, where they also conducted a rally.
The police did not interfere with the action, however Senior
Lieutenant Dmitry Aniskin had been asking for Kirill Gontcharov
for the whole day. The police officer agreed to meet with
Kirill in a cafe in the evening. The policeman came their
in the evening and without any explanations twisted Kirills
his hands and escorted him to the police car.
Sergei Menzhitsky, activist of the Open Coast movement (Otkitiy
Bereg) and Konstantin Andramonov, activist of the North Caucasus
Ecological Watch were detained together with YABLOKOs activist.
The police detained the activists on the threashold of an
action by Putins country cottage taking 350 hectares of
the relict pine forest where the activists planned to place
stickers with inscriptions Stolen from the people of the
Russian Federation. Subject to return.
In the police station Kirill and Sergei were held throughout
the night in an overcrowded cell, when people had to sit on
a bench in a queue. They were given nothing to eat. Konstantin
was released on pledge not to leave the city.
In the margining court of the first instance sentenced Kirill
to five days of imprisonment. Judge Shvedchikov did not allow
the press to be present at the process and refused to appoint
an attorney for Kirill. During the trial activists of the
Youth YABLOKO gave evidence that Kirill did not resist to
police orders. However, the judge refused to watched the video
of the detention. The policemen who detained Kirill did not
come to court, however the judge considered the guilt proved.
And sentenced Kirill to five days of administrative arrest.
At noon the court held a trial against Sergei Menzhitsky
sentencing him to five days of imprisonment too.
Kirill and Sergei were held in the same prison where YABLOKOs
activists protesting against Governors arbitrary rule in
seizing public lands of a national park and building of a
fenced residence there (with cutting of relict pine). The
prisoners were held in terrible conditions bordering of torture.
Public Commission of the Krasnodar Territory conducted an
inspection on the prison and concluded that the prison had
to undergo capital repairs so that to improve the conditions
for the prisoners.
YABLOKO appealed against these decisions in the city court.
The city court reduced the period of arrest from five to two
days of imprisonment for Kirill (and on Sunday evening Kirill
was released).
YABLOKOs leader Sergei Mitrokhin said that the party would
appeal against the courts decisions so that the activists
could be acquitted.
The activists also picketed by the temporarily detention
prison where Kirill and Sergei were held with placards Freedom
to Political Prisoners! Ludmila Alexeyeva, head of the Moscow
Helsinki Group human rights organisation expressed her indignation
on the arrest of the activists. She called the police actions
an outrageous situation and expressed her certainty that
the case was completely fabricated. It is clear from the
first sight that the case is trumped up, she noted.
Alexeyeva called Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev to provide
decent conditions for the arrested activists.
See also:
Protection
of Environment
YABLOKOs
activists get imprisonment verdicts, Press Release, February
28, 2011
Young
YABLOKO activists hang a banner Freedom to Political Prisoners!
opposite of the Kremlin. Press Release, March 3, 2011.
Friendly
Oligarch Buys 'Putin' Palace . The Moscow Times, March 4,
2011.
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