Anapa townspeople complain of harassment after their video appeal to Putin

Law enforcers are trying to present the actions of Anapa residents as an unsanctioned rally, because they had recorded a video appeal to the Russian President, in which they complained that the administration of a local children's camp had blocked the beach with a fence, depriving people of access thereto. The camp director has explained that the fence was installed for security reasons.

Residents of the Sukko dwelling settlement asked to clear up the situation after the fence was installed on the beach, depriving locals of access thereto, the "Blocknot Anapa" outlet has explained.

"The works have been suspended due to large-scale protests," the Anapa branch of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) said in its response.

According to activists, law enforcers are trying to find the people who were on the beach on June 8 and present their actions as an unsanctioned rally.

"I came to sunbathe and relax. There were a lot of people on the beach ... Workers came and began installing a fence. People were outraged, which was later presented as an unsanctioned rally. They took photos of us. Camp staff and policemen came running," said a local woman.

"There was no rally; people were simply outraged that the area of common use was being turned into a concentration camp," another local woman has confirmed, adding that that on May 31, she saw how a man who was trying to get through the fence with two children towards another beach was attacked by policemen.

"They surrounded the man and began demanding his documents. When I heard him speak, I realized that he was sick and could not speak," the woman has stated.

Galina Teryukhina, a relative of the above man, said that her son-in-law's father, Dmitry Lozner, had suffered a stroke, lost his speech and was declared incompetent. Having learned that he was a disabled person, law enforcers took him to the police station and imposed fine on him.

Galina has stated that the court ruling was unjustified, since the protocol stated that Dmitry had allegedly spoken. Now, he cannot appeal against the ruling due to his incapacity.

Roman, an Anapa resident and activist, said that activists went to court, but judges have been protracting the consideration of claims for a year already.

"I have lived in Anapa all my life. The camp has existed here for about half a century. But the beach area was never fenced off until 2023 ... Now, this area resembles a concentration camp. They even put barbed wire over the fence, but then after numerous complaints they removed it," Roman has added.