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WWF demands probe into arrest of south Russia environmentalists

© RIA Novosti . Michail Mordasov / Go to the mediabankA WWF expert said current construction projects in the area ahead of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi were often pursued in violation of Russia's environment laws.
A WWF expert said current construction projects in the area ahead of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi were often pursued in violation of Russia's environment laws. - Sputnik International
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World Wildlife Fund (WWF) officials have issued a statement to the Russian Interior Ministry demanding an investigation into the arrest of four environmentalists during a "picnic protest" in a south Russian forest.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) officials have issued a statement to the Russian Interior Ministry demanding an investigation into the arrest of four environmentalists during a "picnic protest" in a south Russian forest.

Police arrested the ecologists on Sunday when they gathered near the alleged country house of Krasnodar Region Governor Alexander Tkachev to protest against officials "illegally seizing unique wildlife areas on Russia's Black Sea coast."

"WWF is asking Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev to conduct an investigation into the police assault on the ecologists," the wildlife conservation fund said.

The press service of the Krasnodar Region administration said on Monday that the house and the plot of land where the "picnic protest" was held did not belong to Tkachev.

A WWF expert said current construction projects in the area ahead of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi were often pursued in violation of Russia's environment laws.

"It's no secret that ambitious projects in the Krasnodar Region are often carried out in circumvention of the Russian law," said Roman Mnatsekanov, Russia project coordinator in the regional WWF offices in the Russian Caucasus.

The WWF statement quoted Mnatsekanov as saying the inaction of the authorities prompted people to stand up for the unique nature of the region. He accused the local authorities of forcible and illegal response to people's protests.

A justice of the peace sentenced the arrested environmentalists on Monday to seven and ten days of administrative arrest for committing an administrative offence. Their lawyers have appealed.

A local police spokesman said earlier that the environmentalists were arrested for allegedly refusing to produce their documents to the police and for injuring a police officer's finger and hitting another policeman in the face. The spokesman also said the WWF people had aroused suspicion as anti-terrorist training was under way in the area.

 

MOSCOW, March 4 (RIA Novosti)

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