Sochi invalids complain about unlawful evacuation of their cars

The police and private companies are indiscriminately evacuating cars, including those marked as "disabled person", said Pavel Zhestovskiy, the chairman of the society of invalids of the Tsentralny District of Sochi. This practice has become widespread, social activists assert.

According to Mr Zhestovskiy, he receives at least 100 invalid's complaints against employees of evacuation companies.

Sochi has special parking places for car of disabled persons near public facilities, but as a rule, they turn to be occupied; and invalids have to park on roadsides, he said.

According to Elena Kanyuk, the Head of Department of Social Protection of the Population of the Ministry of Labour and Social Development of the Krasnodar Territory in the Tsentralny District of Sochi, the city has 35,000 persons with disabilities.

Vadim Urkunov, a 76-year-old Category II invalid, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that on December 15 he fell victim to evacuating employees. According to his story, he was looking for his car all around the city. His documents and warm clothes were left in the car.

Evacuation of invalids' cars in the form as it takes place in Sochi is illegal, said Mikhail Okhrimenko, a lawyer of the Territorial Bar Association.

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