Ecologists Gazaryan and Solovyova detained in Krasnodar

Suren Gazaryan and Ekaterina Solovyova, activists of the "Environmental Watch of Northern Caucasus" were detained in Krasnodar, near the building of the administration of the Krasnodar Territory, where Gazaryan held a solo picket in defence of Victor Chirikov, who is kept in the Tuapse UVD (Interior Department).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Victor Chirikov, an activist of the Movement "Solidarity", was detained on August 27 at 5 p.m. during a marine protest action in the Blue Bay, opposite the summer cottage of Alexander Tkachov, Governor of the Krasnodar Territory. Chirikov was sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest.

Suren Gazaryan started his solo picket in defence of Chirikov at about 1 p.m. Ekaterina Solovyova was close to him. Forty minutes later, they were both detained by policemen and taken to the UVD of the Western District of Krasnodar. They were accused of holding an unsanctioned public event, the website of the "Ecological Watch on Northern Caucasus" reports.

According to unconfirmed information, apart from ecologists, the police have also detained an occasional passer-by - an elderly man, the Russian News Service reports with reference to Yaroslav Nikitenko, an activist of the Movement "In Defence of Khimki Forest".