Kuban farmers refuse to appeal against their arrest

The participants of the "tractor march" have admitted their guilt of organizing an unsanctioned rally, said Olga Golubyatnikova, a member of the Public Oversight Commission (POC) of the Krasnodar Territory.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Alexei Volchenko, the leader of the movement "Polite Farmers", was sentenced to ten days of administrative arrest; other 11 farmers have been arrested for 5-10 days.

The Kuban farmers have decided not to appeal against the judgements, since they pled guilty of organizing an unsanctioned rally, Olga Golubyatnikova has emphasized. "Volchenko received four warnings that the rally was not sanctioned. Therefore, the farmers have pled guilty and received minimum arrest terms," she said.

In his turn, Alexander Popkov, a lawyer of the human rights organization "Agora", has stated today that he is ready to provide legal assistance to all the convicted members of the "tractor march". He believes that the farmers should challenge the judgements, which found them guilty of organizing an unsanctioned rally.

"People gathered in a bare field in order to discuss their problems; they didn't hamper anybody; and nobody saw them. From the point of view of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), they are in no way guilty, because people have the right to peacefully express their opinions," Alexander Popkov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

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