Public organization in Volgograd persecuted by law enforcement agencies

The Volgograd regional public charity organization "UNESCO Club "Dignity of the Child" has again become an object of persecution by Volgograd law enforcement agencies.

According to the "Caucasian Knot" information, Tatiana Zagumennova, vice-president of the organization, has been detained, while Irina Malovichko, its president, was summoned for interrogation on December 1.

According to "ZZ" information, the persecution is conducted with gross violations.

On May 19, 2008, the Volgograd internal affairs department, section on fighting economic crimes (SFEC), started checking the organization activity.

As a result of the check in the office, the SFEC confiscated the organization's financial and management documentation. Despite the explanations on all questions from SFEC offered by Irina Malovichko, head of the organization, a criminal case on embezzlement of 8,584 rubles from the state budget was initiated against her on May 30, 2008.

On the same day of 30.05.2008, unauthorized searches were conducted in her privately owned flat and in the flat of the organization's book-keeper.

I. Malovichko made a statement on the inadmissibility of illegal actions by the officers of Volgograd internal affairs department, SFEC, and filed a complaint to Voroshilov district court of Volgograd on 07.06.2008.

Earlier, the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG) made a statement in which it said that it "agrees that public organization should be checked", but it called the actions of Volgograd militia "illegal". The MHG connects the criminal persecution of the "UNESCO Club" with "unsuccessful cooperation" of Irina Malovichko with UFSIN in the activity of which she tried to actively interfere. However, the law enforcement agencies refute any political or conflict motivation in the criminal case.