Human rights defender Mikhail Vinyukov claims threats from Sochi authorities; Anatoly Pakhomov does not exclude provocations

Activists of the organization "Service to Protect Citizens' Rights and Interests" have loaded to the Internet audio recordings in which Anatoly Pakhomov, Mayor of Sochi, his Deputy Nikolai Ermolov, the entrepreneur Viktor Teplyakov, the coordinator of the "Edinaya Rossiya" (United Russia) Party, and officers from the Division "E" of the UVD (Interior Department) talked to human rights defenders on the eve of their action and used threats. Anatoly Pakhomov himself believes that the story with audio recordings on the Internet can be a provocation against him.

Human rights defender Mikhail Vinyukov claims threats from Sochi authorities

Several audio recordings that are hosted on the platform "YouTube" let hear audible obscenities, intimidations of physical violence, imprisonment in criminal cases for drugs, extremism, and fabrication of criminal cases of terrorism.

According to Mikhail Vinyukov, the leader of the public organization "Service to Protect Citizens' Rights and Interests", all the audio recordings posted by the organization were recorded in Sochi on May 27-29, 2010, in anticipation of the all-city protest action, scheduled for May 30.

The protest action was aimed to sign a resolution demanding to bring to responsibility the top-ranking officials of the Sochi city administration for their violations of the current local and federal laws. The action of May 30, 2010, was organized by the "Service to Protect Citizens' Rights and Interests" and other Sochi NGOs and human rights defenders.

According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, about ten people simultaneously submitted applications to the city administration to hold a rally "against illegal actions" of judicial, executive and legislative branches of Sochi on May 30 at 5:00 p.m. at the memorial "Miloserdie" (Mercy). All applicants indicated that the expected number of the rally participants would be 500 people.

"That is, we expected to gather about five thousand people in the square," says Mikhail Vinyukov.

According to him, on the day after the applications all applicants received answers with refusals from Ivan Savin, the head of the Central District of Sochi. The answers have emphasized that, "in accordance with Article 8 of the Federal Law 54 "On Assemblies, Meetings, Demonstrations, Processions and Picketing", public events are prohibited in areas directly adjacent to the residence of the President of the Russian Federation" and recommended to eliminate shortcomings.

"Following the applications," says Mikhail Vinyukov, "Anatoly Pakhomov, Sochi Mayor, unofficially invited the organizers of the rally to his office in No. 26 in Sovetskaya Street for talks. The "talks" were attended by Nikolai Ermolov, Deputy Mayor, and the entrepreneur Viktor Teplyakov, the activist of the "Edinaya Rossiya" (United Russia) Party."

Anatoly Pakhomov urged the activists to stop rallies and in exchange he promised the organizers of the rally to establish a "working group" and solve the problems of the Sochi residents in a constructive way.

"The Mayor was presented a series of demands set forth in the rally's resolution, and he promised to give instructions to his subordinates and follow the demands. Pakhomov promised to prepare a resolution on establishing a working group which would include four representatives of human rights defenders and four representatives of administrative staff," says Mikhail Vinyukov.

"We had kept our word, and on May 30 we came to the rally to inform people, who knew about the rally and who wanted to attend it," says the human rights defender.

According to him, before the rally, the place was approached by foreign cars with special license number plates, and the very square was crowded by militiamen with "UAZ" cars and passenger cars, disguised secret service agents, representatives of administration and territorial public self-administrations, MPs, members of the "Edinaya Rossiya" (United Russia) Party and of the "Molodaya Gvardiya" (Young Guard) Party, people with photographic and video cameras.

According to Mikhail Vinyukov, the GIBDD (road police) posted at the entrance to the memorial road signs reading: "No Entry" and "Repairs". Large truck equipment - concrete trucks, dump trucks, truck cranes, excavator-loaders - belonging to the holding "SMU-21" was driven to the place. After those trucks, the trucks belonging to the LLC (Limited Liability Company) "Terminator" and the "Vodokanal" were also driven to the memorial.

"All of them were simulating repair works at the place of the rally. The Sochi residents, notified of the rally before the talks with Pakhomov and his entourage, were met by Viktor Teplyakov, who promised to solve their problems. I also told the audience that the authorities promise to solve our problems without rallies," says Mikhail Vinyukov.

"We believed Anatoly Pakhomov and promised not to hold a rally on May 30, despite the fact that we heard even threats. All this time our organization was monitoring the activities of Pakhomov and Teplyakov. They failed to keep their promises," states the human rights defender.

According to him, since Pakhomov failed to fulfil his last May promises, the Vinyukov's organization began to collect signatures in Sochi for the resignation of Anatoly Pakhomov. "After that, the entrepreneur Viktor Teplyakov phoned me and said that he needed "silence in the city on these issues" and that he advised me "not to interfere." However, I continued to collect signatures. After that, on October 25, 2010, an attempt against me had been committed," says Mikhail Vinyukov.

"I would like to note that, when a criminal case on the attack on me had been instituted, an unidentified person removed evidence in the form of video from security cameras and fingerprints from the materials of operational and investigatory team which studied the scene," stresses the human rights defender.

He emphasizes that he and his supporters have kept audio recordings of the "talks" with the Sochi authorities on the eve of the last May rally planned in Sochi. They decided to release them to the Internet, when Sochi began to face regular criminal incidents of persecution of public activists, journalists and human rights defenders.

"We decided to make public these audio recordings and put them on a public trial," says Mikhail Vinyukov and adds that they did not appeal to the police.

Among the unsolved criminal cases which had been instituted on the attacks on the public and political figures of Sochi, Mikhail Vinyukov mentions the attack on the journalist Arkady Lander (in April 2010), Lyudmila Shestak, the MP from the "KPRF" (Communist) Party (in January 2009), the public figure Valery Suchkov (in this January).

Anatoly Pakhomov treats story with audio recordings on the Internet as provocation

Anatoly Pakhomov, Sochi Mayor, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that he had not listen to the audio recordings in the Internet. "My press office informed me that there is a negative. However, it is only audio recording, now, you know, you can technically put all together very competent. On the other hand, the recording states that two years ago I did not given a permission to hold a rally. And why they failed to appeal to the law enforcement bodies, if I prohibited the rally? Why did they remind this now? Or do I today prevent someone (to hold rallies)? Yes, for God's sake!" emphasizes Anatoly Pakhomov.

Nikolai Ermolov, Viktor Teplyakov, and officers from the Division "E" of the UVD are still unavailable for comments.