Molchanov was pressed for his human rights activities in Sochi, rights defenders assert

Relatives and friends of 49-year-old Yuri Molchanov, a human rights defender from Sochi, believe that his premature death became the result of the pressure, which he suffered for his human rights activities.

Let us remind you that on April 19, Yuri Molchanov was hospitalized unconscious to the resuscitation ward. According to relatives of Yuri Molchanov, he got cerebral oedema. In the evening of May 11, he died at the resuscitation ward of the hospital No. 4 of the city of Sochi.

The head of the resuscitation ward of the hospital categorically refused to disclose the diagnosis of Yuri Molchanov. She only said that the illness that led to his death was the result of a criminal injury.

"He was slowly killed. During more than 10 years, law enforcers were killing him with their indifference, lack of response to his appeals and refusal to stop crimes," the "Caucasian Knot" was told by Valery Suchkov, who, like Yuri Molchanov, was a member of the public organization "Protection of citizens' rights and interests".

Valery Suchkov has reminded that Yuri Molchanov was attacked by unidentified persons.

"After filing a lawsuit to the court against the city Mayor to compel him to perform his duties in the establishment the plan of surrounding territories, Yuri was meanly beaten. The incident occurred on September 1, 2001," Valery Suchkov said.

The human rights defender has reminded that the criminal case was instituted on the fact of the attack; however, the investigation did not lead to the punishment of the guilty persons.

It should be noted that by the decision of October 4, 2002, the Sochi Central Court granted the motion filed by human rights defender Yuri Molchanov and obliged Viktor Kolodyazhny, the then Mayor, to adopt rules for land use and development of the resort city.

According the Valery Suchkov's story, Yuri Molchanov was also beaten by policemen; however, the Prosecutor's office did not respond to the appeals.

"The death of Yuri Molchanov became the result of his beatings and absence of response from the law enforcement bodies," the correspondent was told by Alexander Korotkov, a member of the organization "Protection of citizens' rights and interests".

Alexander Korotkov believes that Yuri Molchanov could become a victim of poisoning.

"No one knows why Yuri fell into a coma. Perhaps, he was poisoned. Yuri complained about pains in his stomach," Alexander Korotkov said. He has explained that he communicated with Yuri Molchanov on the day prior to the moment when the human rights defender was found unconscious.

In early April, Yuri Molchanov himself told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that he received threats because of his human rights activities with regard to the cases of "black realtors".

Let us also remind you that in December 2012, Yuri Molchanov appealed to Alexander Bastrykin, Chairman of the Investigatory Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF), with a complaint against the Mayor of Sochi. The human rights defender believed the city violated the laws at distributing state-owned land plots.