13:16, 8 July 2020

"Ecowatch" activists persuade court to cancel search decision

Andrei Rudomakha and Mikhail Benyash listening to the court ruling over illegal issuing of a search warrant of the "Ecowatch" premises. Photo: press service of the "Ecowatch", http://ewnc.org/node/28175.

The Krasnodar Territorial Court has satisfied the complaint against the search warrant to be conducted at the headquarters of the "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus" (Ecowatch), environmentalists stated on July 7.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 2, 2019, the Krasnodar Territorial Court revealed gross violations committed when issuing a search warrant of the "Ecowatch" premises and ruled to reconsider the case.

On July 30, 2019, searches were conducted in the North-Caucasian office of the "Ecowatch" and in homes of activists Alexander Saveliev and Leonid and Marina Zaprudin. According to activists, the searches had to do with the criminal case on the alleged cooperation of Alexander Saveliev with some "undesirable organization."

The searches of the "Ecowatch" office and the investigator's resolution, on the basis of which the Oktiabrsky Court issued the search warrant, have been cancelled by the Krasnodar Territorial Court, the "Ecowatch" reported on July 7 on its website.

"The judge decided to end the consideration of the case. Thus, the Territorial Court has made a new and final judgement. It came into force from the moment of adoption," says the website.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 8, 2020 at 08:33 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.