Rostov Region hosts picket in defence of journalist Alexander Tolmachev

On December 26, in the city of Novocherkassk, Rostov Region, a picket was held against criminal prosecution and arrest of the editor-in-chief of the newspaper "I'm Authorized to State" Alexander Tolmachev, one of the leaders of local communists Vladislav Zhuravlyov and an activist of the entrepreneurs' movement Konstantin Astakhov.

"Authorities have their own claims with regard to Alexander Tolmachev, Konstantin Zhuravlyov and Vladislav Astakhov. Mr Tolmachev has dedicated more than 15 years of his life to combating corruption in the top leadership of the regional judicial and law enforcement systems. His revelatory publications aroused wrath of the judicial mafia; and he became a personal enemy of Viktor Tkachov, Chair the Rostov Regional Court. They have fabricated a criminal case against him under Article 159 of the Russian Criminal Code (extortion)," says the statement of the city's Committee for People's Action.

"Vladislav Zhuravlyov has spent more than 10 years of his life fighting corruption in the local government of Novocherkassk, and became a personal enemy of Vice-Governor Sergey Gorban. Mr Zhuravlyov is unreasonably prosecuted under Article 282 (inciting hatred or enmity); and he dismissed by the court from his post of Deputy Mayor of Novocherkassk for an indefinite period," runs the statement.

It is also reported that Konstantin Astakhov was less known to the general public, as he only occasionally appeared in Novocherkassk with socially relevant initiatives. "In December 2011, Astakhov applied for a rally against fraudulent elections, for which he also received a false accusation. Ammunition was planted on him," the press service of the Committee asserts.

The Committee has applied for a new demonstration and a rally on January 9.