22 December 2008, 11:13
In Rostov Region, protesting miners complain of pressure exerted by the authorities
The organizers and participants of protest actions in the city of Zverevo, Rostov Region, experience amplified pressure from local authorities. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed about it by Valery Dyakonov, Deputy of Zverevo City Duma.
According to Mr Dyakonov, it is not excluded that the reason of the pressure is in the authorities' fear of possible mass actions of the population in the conditions of crisis. "On December 4, miners-pensioners started their hunger strike, about which local authorities were pre-notified. However, on that very day I was summoned to the city's public prosecutor. I had to stay with the hunger-strikers and could not appear at the prosecutor's office. As a result, they opened an administrative case and accuse me of defaulting the public prosecutor's order," said the Deputy.
The trial on Dyakonov's case was appointed on December 25; and he has added that "earlier six attempts had been undertaken to bring the picketers to administrative responsibility, however, these actions were found illegal by the court."
According to Valery Dyakonov, "every day some 80-100 persons rally near the city's Palace of Culture for holding a picket. About 10 persons take part in the hunger strike shift-by-shift.
Author: Elena Olenina Source: CK correspondent
