Activist Natalia Garyaeva claims fabrication of new criminal case against her

Natalia Garyaeva, the leader of the “Poltavskaya Against the Landfill” movement, recorded a video appeal to the President of Russia. In her video appeal, Natalia Garyaeva complains that corrupt officials interested in ensuring that the landfill in the village of Poltavskaya continues to operate are trying to fabricate a criminal case against her.

On December 4, the governor of the Krasnodar Territory announced that the landfill in the Poltavskaya village had been closed. However, activists called for the statement about the closure of the landfill to be documented.

Natalia Garyaeva complained that officials involved in corruption began persecuting her after activists from the Poltavskaya village succeeded in seeking the closure of the landfill.

“A criminal case is being fabricated against me, false denunciations have been poured into the police and prosecutor’s office, and law enforcers began questioning employees of the enterprise that I head,” Natalia Garyaeva stated on the video posted in the Telegram channel of the “Poltavskaya Against the Landfill” movement.

During questioning, people are being intimidated and not allowed to contact lawyers, Natalia Garyaeva has added. The activist has learned that law enforcers prepared to conduct searches at her working place. “The goal is one – to fabricate grounds so that they could arrest me,” the leader of the “Poltavskaya Against the Landfill” movement believes.

According to Natalia Garyaeva, she has been warned that it is planned to fabricate a case on tax evasion and illegal entrepreneurship against her. “If it doesn’t work out, they could plant drugs or firearms to me or simply arrest me for allegedly insulting officials or defamation,” the activist said.

Natalia Garyaeva states that she is not afraid of arrest, but fears it may be followed by arrests of her like-minded people and relatives and that after the arrests of activists, the landfill may be operated again.