Opponents to construction of Sochi Cargo Port detained by militia

On September 29, the Federal State Unitary Enterprise (FSUE) "Rosmorport" met no opposition to bringing reinforced concrete structures to the construction site of the "Second Cargo District of Sochi Port", as Sochi militia had detained two activists of the actions held against this construction.

Natalia Kalinovskaya, chair of the "Psou" Territorial Public Self-Government (TPSG), and Svetlana Beresteneva, member of the TPSG, were summoned in the morning of that day to the public reception room of the State Corporation "Olympstroy" by local militia inspector from the "Rossiya" State Farm Denis Kuzminskiy. This information was provided to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Andrei Rudomakha, coordinator of the Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus.

According to the inspector, he wanted to discuss the problems of the port construction with the women and asked them to bring the documents related to the issue. However, as it turned out, it was just a trick, simplifying their detention. No dialogue with them was ever assumed, Mr Rudomakha explained.

The coordinator of the Ecological Watch has added that when the women began objecting naming these actions to be mere arbitrariness, head of public safety militia of the Adler District Gennady Pokandyuk threatened to use force to them for "resisting the authorities."

Kalinovskaya and Beresteneva were presented a pre-prepared ruling on initiation of an administrative case against them. The ruling was passed on the basis of the claim lodged by Alexei Mokridin, lawyer of the Turkish Company "Kolin Inshaat Tourism Sanayi Ve Tidzharet Anonim Shirketi" - a contractor of the FSUE "Rosmorport". Together with other residents, the women were accused "of preventing, on September 25, 2008, travel of a tractor and active participated in blocking traffic in Staroshkolnaya Street."

However, on September 25, not only the lawyer of the Turkish Company lodged an application to the militia. Natalia Kalinovskaya had also fixed the fact of "illegal performance of works." Her application was signed by 32 eyewitnesses. "However, her application was ignored by the militia, who decided to aim their 'punishing sword' against citizens who tried to prevent violation of the law," Mr Rudomakha has commented.