Environmental Watch on North Caucasus, Press Release, May 28, 2013

On May 28, 2013 police officers of the city of Sochi conducted two searches in the apartment and countryside residence of Vladimir Kimaev, the member of the Council of Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (EWNC). Both searches took place in the absence of Vladimir Kimaev. Searches were conducted concurrently by two groups of police officers. The one, which took place in the apartment situated in Maly Akhun area, was headed by lieutenant colonel Andrey Stolov. The second one took place in Tretya Brigada village and was headed by major S. Tsygankov.

As a result of both searches, police did not discover anything. Officers left the venues before Kimaev was able to come there with his attorney. It became known that policemen were unsuccessfully searching for arms and ammunition. Searches were conducted within the framework of a certain criminal case initiated under the Article 222 of the Criminal Code of Russia “Illegal obtaining, transferring, sale, storage, transportation or carrying a weapon, its components, ammunitions, explosive substances and explosive equipment.”

Vladimir Kimaev has been defending human rights and fighting against governmental and commercial lawlessness for many years. He is one of the key Sochi civil society activists who reveals and makes public the facts of violation of law occurring everywhere in preparation to Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. He devotes a lot of his time to help journalists from independent media who write the truth about Olympic Sochi. This truth is not convenient for Russian authorities. Vladimir’s activities irritate local and federal authorities enormously.

It is obvious that these searches, conducted on a made up grounds, are made to put pressure on Vladimir Kimaev. Their purpose is not a discovery of mystical weapons and ammunitions. The real purpose is to put obstacles in the way of Vladimir Kimaev who is defending human rights and environment in a reality of Olympic lawlessness.

On the threshold of Sochi 2014, these events are the evidence of governmental intention to force civil activists to shut up about corrupted project, as a result of which unique natural complexes are destroyed and human rights are grossly violated. As the Sochi Olympic gamble is a favorite brainchild of the president Vladimir Putin, the entire state machine is sent to fight against those who dare to speak up the truth about Olympic lawlessness. Vladimir Kimaev was unequivocally insinuated that in case he is not ceasing his defending activities, ‘arms’ and ‘ammunitions’ will be found at his place.

Andrey RUDOMAKHA

(Environmental Watch on North Caucasus)

Details: +7 (918)4402257, Vladimir Kimaev

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