Activist finds slander in statements voiced by official at gathering in Poltavskaya

Natalia Garyaeva reported to the police that at a gathering of residents in the village of Poltavskaya, an official accused activists of a commercial interest in closing the landfill. Natalia Garyaeva treated the official’s statement as defamation.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that during the people’s rally against the landfill in the village of Poltavskaya, which took place on September 17, one of the local officials who came to the gathering suggested that the activists were paid for protest actions against the landfill. Residents of the Poltavskaya village voiced their intention to sue the official for defamation.

After the gathering of the residents of the Poltavskaya village, activist Natalia Garyaeva sent a message to the police about the crime. According to the complaint addressed to Vasily Khaev, the chief of the Division for the Krasnoarmeisky District of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), officials delivered their speeches at the gathering and stated that the activists “came to the gathering not because of their active position and their convictions,” but for money. In particular, one of the officials called the activists “a crowd pursuing commercial interests.” According to Natalia Garyaeva, the officials’ actions contain a violation of Article 128 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on defamation, follows from a copy of the complaint posted on the “Poltavskaya against the landfill” Telegram channel.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 20, 2022 at 05:40 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.