Ecologist detained during an action in Tuapse released from custody

Evgeny Vitishko, activist of "Yabloko" party and "Environmental Watch on North Caucasus", detained during an ecologic action was released Yesterday, October, 30. However, he was temporarily deprived of the right of running a boat.

It should be reminded that on October, 30, an action of protest against launching Tuapse bulk terminal of "Eurochim" company was held in Tuapse. Evgeny Vitishko and Eugenia Chirikova, Leader of the Movement of Defense of Khimki forest, who had specially arrived in Tuapse to take part in the action were detained by the police and border guards after they rowed up in a boat to a vessel "Eugenia B" standing near the moorage of the terminal for loading and fastened a poster "Save Tuapse!" on it. Chirikova was soon released and Vitishko was taken to Line Road Department of Interior Affairs in Tuapse.

A representative of "Environmental Watch" later told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that at about 19:00 Moscow time, after interrogation, Evgeny Vitishko was released. However, two protocols of administrative infraction according to clause 18.3 of the Code of administrative violations (violation of border regime in territorial sea and inland waters of the Russian Federation) and clause 11.7 (violation of navigation regulations) were drawn up concerning him by the personnel of border service of Federal Security Service and State Inspectorate of small-size vessels (SISV).

Besides, members of "Environmental Watch" emphasize that the actions of the personnel of border service of SISV on calling Vitishko to administrative account were unlawful.

"Vitishko had a license on using a small-size vessel within the borders of inland waters of the Russian Federation where border regime is enacted, - the source said. - Besides, as Vitishko is a parliamentary candidate to State Duma from "Yabloko" party no one has a right of calling him to administrative account".

Eugenia Chirikova wrote in her blog that Vitishko was deprived of "rights of running a boat". The same information was posted in the twitter by blogger Oleg Kozyrev who also specially arrived in Tuapse that day to take part in the ecologic actions.

"After the police Vitishko was interrogated by FSS personnel and his license on running a motorboat was taken away. After some telephone calls he was released", Kozyrev writes.

The famous blogger also emphasizes in his LiveJournal that after Evgeny Vitishko's detention the organizers of the action could not find out his location for a long time. Even after the activist informed that he was in the Line Road Department of Interior Affairs the personnel of the standby unit still denied that he was there.

Kozyrev is sure that the detained environmental activist was released only after the bloggers posted the phone number of the standby unit of Tuapse on the Net and they started receiving a great number of calls concerning Vitishko.

Law enforcement bodies are still inaccessible for comments.