Ecologists arrested in Krasnodar Territory go on hunger strike

The activists of the "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus" detained in the Tuapse District of the Krasnodar Territory, "are on a hunger strike against the militia and judicial arbitrariness for the second day in the detention facility of the Tuapse UVD (District Interior Department)," their colleagues report.

As stated in the information report of the "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus", which arrived to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, the mother of one of the detainees at the Blue Bay was called yesterday, on March 1, from the UVD and told that the detainees had gone on a protest hunger strike.

"Thus, we managed to find out what was happening in Tuapse with the activists of the 'Watch' and 'Yabloko' Party, after the magistrate judge Maxim Dubov passed an unjust decision to sentence them to various terms of administrative arrest. After the trial, there's no communication with them; they are not allowed to make calls; and moreover, in violation of all the norms, they are not allowed even to meet their advocate Sergey Bogdanov," says the statement.

Besides, according to the information of the "Ecological Watch", the detainees Suren Gazaryan, Dmitry Shevchenko and Zufar Achilov are kept together, while Evgeniy Vitishko is kept separately.

Besides, Vitishko was awarded the longest term of administrative arrest - 10 days.

"The information that Vitishko is kept separately from other Tuapse prisoners, when viewed with the above circumstances, gives reason to seriously fear for Evgeniy's safety, since he is under the strongest pressure at the Tuapse OVD," the activists of the "Watch" emphasize.

The Tuapse militia refused to give any comments on detention of the activists.

Meanwhile, the press service of the Administration of the Krasnodar Territory has denied the information that the object, which is built on the Black Sea shore in the Tuapse District, where ecologists were detained on February 27, is the summer residence of Governor Alexander Tkachov. As stated by the press service, the cottage settlement in the Bzhid village is located on the land plot, which has the status of the "settlement land of the Tuapse District." "This territory is not part of the forest fund of the Krasnodar Territory," says the press service.