01 October 2008, 14:03
Kalinovskaya: Imereti Bay residents will continue protest actions
Natalia Kalinovskaya, chair of the "Psou" Territorial Public Self-Government (TPSG), who was detained by Sochi militia on September 29 together with Svetlana Beresteneva, another activist of protest actions against construction of the 2nd Sochi Cargo Port in the Imereti Bay, has stated that protest actions will go on despite the authorities' pressure.
Ms Kalinovskaya said, in her interview to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that on September 30 a trial took place, where her support group came with the advocate. However, the group was not admitted into the courtroom. The process was open, but the secretary said that it was against regulations.
According to Natalia Kalinovskaya, when the militiaman and Magistrate Judge Kerimov remained in the room without any eyewitnesses and "acted lawlessly, doing everything according to a scenario written in advance."
"My explanations that I was the first to write an application, which was not considered by anybody, and that the application of the Turkish Company's lawyer had been forged by backdating were rejected by the Judge. All my petitions were groundlessly denied," she has added.
Finally, the Judge made a decision to bring the activist to administrative responsibility and fined her by 2500 roubles.
"This is the way the local authorities try to intimidate and shut us down. None of them wishes to recognize that we live in a democratic country, where everyone has the right to express his or her opinion and have one's legitimate interests defended," said Ms Kalinovskaya.
According to her story, the organizers of protest actions will persist; in particular, on October 5, at 4 p.m. in the "Rossiya" State Farm, near the public reception office of the "Olympstroy", a protest rally will be held against the illegal, in the opinion of local residents, build-up of the Bay.
Author: Svetlana Kravchenko, CK correspondent
