Rachel Denber: Olympic safety should not be used as pretext to persecute activists

The Olympic construction has caused damage to the Sochi environment and natural reserves of the region; and in the course of preparing the Games, the authorities strengthened pressure on civil society activists, said the participants of the press conference "Ecological situation in Sochi: consequences of Olympic construction and harassment of activists" held in Moscow on January 22.

One of the main topics was the case of Evgeny Vitishko, an activist of the "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus".

Evgenia Chirikova, the leader of the movement in defence of Khimki Forest, urged European Union representatives to attend the trial of Evgeny Vitishko as observers. "I'm sure it would save his freedom," she has concluded.

Starting 2009, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) is registering facts of pressure on ecologists and other civil society activists in Sochi, said Rachel Denber, the deputy director of the HRW for Europe and Central Asia.

"Although this pressure is not formally associated with the Olympics, in fact, these events are interconnected... The pressure is intended to silence them on the issues related to the Olympics. Officially, it goes under the pretext of ensuring security of the Games; but one should not use it as a pretext for harassing activists," Ms Denber has noted.