Kuban farmers begin to abandon protest

In the Krasnodar Territory, more and more farmers decide not to take part in the tractor trip to President Vladimir Putin because of pressure from the local authorities, report organizers of the action. Only some individuals have reported on their readiness to go to Moscow in tractors.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that about 100 farmers from nine districts of the Krasnodar Territory announced their intention to hold a tractor ride to Moscow to file an appeal to President Vladimir Putin. The farmers want to use their action to draw attention to numerous raider takeovers of land plots and violations of their rights. According to the farmers, their attempts to address the local authorities and the law enforcement bodies have not been succeeded. On March 28, the tractor ride is to start from Ust-Labinsk.

Officials from the Prosecutor's Office have warned that the protest action is not sanctioned and that its participants will be punished, the "Caucasian Knot" was told by Andrei Ovechkin, the head of the peasant farm of the Ust-Labinsk District. "I was told that the sanction stipulates up to 15 days of arrest. I am ready to serve them, since I cannot keep silence. We spend all the time in courts, we have no time to work on our land plots, since we are permanently sued in courts," said Andrei Ovechkin. He has noted that on March 28, 17 tractors planned to leave the Cossack villages of Upornaya and Siniukha. And at present, it is clear that only three farmers will go to the President.

"The administration of the Ust-Labinsk District met farmers in Novopokrovka, and I was not invited to come. I do not know whether they were promised or intimidated there, but farmers from farm Pervaya Siniukha chose to wait and decided not to take part in the action," said the farmer.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.