Police of Krasnodar Territory suspects ecologist Gazaryan of threat to murder

As announced by the spokesman of the Chief Department of the Russian MIA for the Krasnodar Territory, a criminal case has been opened against Suren Gazaryan, an activist of the NGO "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus", who is suspected of a threat to murder. On September 4, Gazaryan must appear at the police for questioning.

On August 26, ecologist Gazaryan was detained about 3:10 p.m. Moscow time in the village of Divnomorskoe in the course of a public inspection of the so-called "summer cottage of Russian President Vladimir Putin". A few hours later he was released from the police station with a resolution about initiation of a criminal case; however, he was immediately re-detained along with three other activists who held a picket in his defence. Later, all the detainees were released.

According to the above spokesperson, the criminal case against the ecologist was opened under the article of "a threat of death or serious physical harm", which provides for a sanction of up to two years in prison. No other details of the case were disclosed by the police, the RIA "Novosti" reports.

In his turn, the ecologist refuses to admit his guilt. According to his version, the events that are set out in the decision to open a case "have certainly not taken place," wrote the "Interfax".

"The guard began grasping me. I told him to take his hands away," said Gazaryan. He claims not to use physical force against the guards and not to put any psychological pressure on them.