Sochi: Elena Nikitina demands to prosecute policemen involved in picket dispersal

In Sochi, policemen and officials of the City Mayor's Office have exceeded their official power while dispersing a picket in the Lazarevskoe District and should be prosecuted. This is stated in the appeal filed by Elena Nikitina, an organizer of the picket, to the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on April 29, local residents organized a picket after nearly a year of disputes with the City Mayor's Office concerning the elimination of a pedestrian crossing in the village of Lazarevskoe. Policemen dispersed the picket and detained Alexei Goryachkin, Assistant to Sergey Obukhov, a State Duma deputy. Elena Nikitina, the organizer of the picket, was brought to hospital with a suspected apoplectic attack.

According to the appeal filed by Elena Nikitina, the picketers have gathered together to protest against the closure of the pedestrian crossing and they did not pursue any political or other purposes. The appeal also emphasizes that the local administration and the police have been notified in due time about the protest action.

It was not earlier than on the day of the picket when the city administration officials and policemen informed the organizers that the protest action had not been sanctioned.

According to Elena Nikitina, when an ambulance was called for her and arrived in the place, the policemen tried to prevent her from getting into the car.

The policemen or the officials from the City Mayor's Office were not involved in any unlawful actions. This was said by Vladimir Volkov, Director of the Department on cooperation with law enforcement agencies and public associations of the Sochi City Mayor's Office.

According to him, the participants of the picket have refused to listen to agents of the authorities.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.