HRC asks to check legitimacy of searches at "EcoWatch"

The Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights under the Russian President (known as the Human Rights Council – HRC) has addressed the Prosecutor's Office of the Krasnodar Territory asking to check the legality of the searches conducted at residences of the activists of the Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus (EcoWatch).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on April 9, searches were conducted in the office of the EcoWatch; computers and office equipment were seized. The activist Viktor Chirikov has linked the law enforcers' actions with the cooperation of the EcoWatch with Yana Antonova, the coordinator of "The Open Russia"* in the Krasnodar Territory; Yana's home was also searched on the same day.

Despite the fact that the EcoWatch and "The Open Russia"* are not related to each other, investigators seized all the electronic devices found in the house and caused damage to the house itself, the HRC's website says in the message posted on April 10.

"Such actions of investigating authorities raise doubts from the viewpoint of justification. The HRC hereby asks you to verify the legality of the said investigative actions and the actions of special purpose fighters during the searches," says the appeal of the HRC's head to the Public Prosecutor of the Krasnodar Territory.

* The General Prosecutor's Office of Russia recognized activities of two organizations registered in the UK and containing the words "Open Russia" in their names as undesirable in the Russian Federation.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on April 11, 2019 at 11:27 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.