SFD in 2017: protests, large-scale fires and resonant trials

The regions of the Southern Federal District (SFD) will remember the year of 2017 by numerous protest actions, large-scale fires in the Rostov and Volgograd Regions, launch of a railway to bypass Ukraine, verdicts in cases of resonant crimes, and attacks on law enforcers. The "Caucasian Knot" has summed up the results of 2017 in six regions of Southern Russia.

Real estate holders again deceived in their expectations

In 2017, deceived real estate investors held actions of protest in the Volgograd and Rostov Regions and in Kuban. In Rostov-on-Don, real estate investors of the residential complex "Barrikadnaya" held hunger strikes twice: in July and from November 28 to December 7. In December, real estate investors of several residential complexes held a rally, a march and a motor rally in Rostov-on-Don, but their demands to finish their houses were not met.

Actions of Alexei Navalny's supporters provoke increased interest of law enforcers

The release of the film "He is not Dimon for you" about a "secret empire of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev", prepared by the Anti-Corruption Foundation, provoked in numerous cities of Russia numerous actions held by supporters of oppositionist Alexei Navalny. On March 26, they demanded to investigate the information announced in the film.

The actions resulted in mass detentions in Krasnodar, Sochi, and Rostov-on-Don. Meanwhile, in Krasnodar, according to eyewitnesses, law enforcers threw smoke bombs to protesters.

The second wave of auctioned held by supporters of Alexei Navalny began on June 12. It covered Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Maikop, Krasnodar, and other cities. The activists demanded to ensure replacement of power and resignation of Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin. In the cities of Yeisk and Sochi, actions were accompanied by detentions.

Dozens of families lose shelter after large-scale fires

In August, the Volgograd Region suffered from large-scale natural fires. According to the official information, two persons were killed by the fire, and 25 families lost their only shelter. Rescuers did not rule out that the fire could be provoked by arson.

On August 21-22, a fire broke out in the centre of Rostov-on-Don. As a result, one person was killed and seven others were hospitalized. 163 houses were found unfit for habitation. According to experts, the fire was caused by arson, and local residents themselves suggested the fire was arranged by "black" realtors who planned to build a residential complex in the area.

New protests of miners and farmers

In 2017, workers of the "Kingcoal" Group of Companies and the mine "Vostochnaya" continued holding their protest actions with the demand to pay their wages. The workers tried to obtain payments, in particular, through holding hunger strikes, pickets and a many-day hike from Gukovo to Rostov-on-Don.

In March 2017, Kuban farmers on protest against raiders' seizure of their land tried to organize a "tractor march" to Moscow, but their action was suppressed. Organizers and active participants of the protests were charged with various charges, including failure to pay alimony and fraud. The police detained cars of activists by pretext that the cars were allegedly listed as hijacked.

Two attacks on Astrakhan law enforcers in April

On April 4, two inspectors of the road-and-patrol service (known as DPS) were shot dead in Astrakhan. The attackers, who initiated a road accident and forced its second participant to call the police, seized the law enforcers' weapons and fled in a Gazel with a Dagestani state registration number. At night on April 6, another attack on law enforcers was committed in Astrakhan. Fighters of the National Guard of Russia stopped a car to check the driver's documents, and after that a shootout began, during which three law enforcers were injured and one of the attackers was killed. Other three attackers were killed in a special operation. The killed suspects were identified as natives of the Astrakhan Region, Chechnya, and Dagestan. Investigators did not rule out the involvement of the suspects in the shelling of policemen on April 4. The responsibility for both attacks was claimed by the terrorist organization "Islamic State" (IS) banned in Russia by the court's decision.

Launch of railway to bypass Ukraine

On December 11, the "Russian Railways" transferred all 62 passenger trains of the southern direction to the new Zhuravka-Millerovo railway bypassing Ukraine. Prior to that, Russian trains of the southern direction had to drive through the Lugansk Region of Ukraine and cross the state border twice. The total length of the new double-track railway running through the Voronezh and Rostov Regions is 137 kilometres.

Southern cities as an outpost for trials in resonant crimes

On May 12, in Kuban, the court sentenced 10 warders of the juvenile correctional penal colony in Belorechensk to 2.5 years to 11 years of imprisonment. The court agreed with the investigators' version that in November 2015, the warders beat up new prisoners, one of whom died.

In Rostov-on-Don, the court pronounced the verdicts against three women accused of plotting a terror act in a shopping centre in Rostov-on-Don. Victoria Semyonova, a native of the Stavropol Territory, pleaded guilty, and on July 26, she was sentenced to three years of imprisonment. Tatiana Karpenko and Natalia Grishina, residents of Rostov-on-Don, who pleaded not guilty, were sentenced to 14.5 years and 9 years of imprisonment in a penal colony, respectively.

Besides, Arthur Panov, a citizen of Ukraine, and Maxim Smyshlyaev, a resident of Rostov, were also sentenced for plotting a terror act in a shopping centre in Rostov-on-Don. During the trial, Arthur Panov admitted his guilt in part, while Maxim Smyshlyaev pleaded not guilty and claimed he took no slightest part in any preparation for a terror act. The court sentenced Arthur Panov to 8 years of imprisonment in a common-security penal colony, while Maxim Smyshlyaev was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment in a high-security penal colony. The Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" recognized Maxim Smyshlyaev as a political prisoner.

On December 5, based on the verdict of the jury, the court pronounced a verdict in the case against the "Rostov Amazons". At the stage of the investigation, the "Amazons" were accused of 30 murders. The court found four defendants guilty of killing 10 people, including law enforcers and members of their families, and sentenced the "Rostov Amazons" to 16 to 21 years of imprisonment.

On July 12, the court found seven warders of the Elista IK-1 guilty of the death of prisoner Dmitry Batyrev in 2015 and beating prisoners and sentenced them to imprisonment.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.