Movement against violence
Rainbow Keepers movement
Socio-Ecological Union of Western Caucasus

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PROTEST CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE CONSTRUCTION OF AMMONIA
RELOADING TERMINAL ON TAMAN PENINSULA
<August 10, 2002>

DETENTION OF ACTIVISTS AFTER THE PROTEST MEETING
AGAINST THE CONSTRUCTION OF
AMMONIA TERMINAL IN TAMAN

The authorities and police of Temruk district
use unjustified repressive measures
against the environmental activists
in order to foil the protest campaign
against the ammonia terminal

On the 10th August, 2002 in the resort village of Volna (Temruk district of Krasnodar Territory) before the office of the chemical corporation "Toglyattiazot", realizing the construction of ammonia reloading terminal, a vigil and a protest meeting took place. This was a first action, hold in the framework of the public campaign against the construction of the terminal launched by ecological activists.

The operation of this terminal will extremely jeopardize the ecosystem of the Black Sea and the life of the local population. The construction of the terminal developments and access railroad has already caused a great damage to the nature of Taman peninsula and archeological monuments. It has been conducted and is being conducted now with severe violations of the Law.

Among the participants in the action there were local people, Cossack representatives and environmental activists from the Movement against violence, Rainbow Keepers movement and Socio- ecological Union of Western Caucasus. The slogans of the action were "Makhlay go home!" (****Makhlay is an owner of Toglyattiazot corporation), "Black Sea must live!" and so on. The number of participants in the vigil and in the meeting amounted to more than 60 persons.

On the eve of the meeting they exerted a great pressure on the environmental activists for the purpose of hindering its holding. When Gleb Edelev was pasting leaflets over the village of Taman, three persons came to him and began to threaten with arrest, then, it was found out that one of those people was Deputy Administration Head of Temruk district, a certain Gritsenko. In the afternoon in the headquarters of the campaign suddenly the telephone stopped working, as a result of what the initiative group of the campaign remained deprived of communication and e- mail just on the eve of the meeting. Late at night policemen visited again the headquarters, but this time nobody was detained. We expected that during the meeting the police would take repressive measures as well.

That is why Cossacks organized the guard of the meeting, and the latter was hold without any incidents. The repression began as soon as the meeting was over and the Cossacks went home.

The environmental activists started setting up the protest camp not far from the resort of Volna. At the same time a police car approached to them. Police officers began the examination of passports. During it they detained Vika Kucherenko from Maykop, by the reason that she was under age (she is 16). After that in the headquarters of the campaign against the ammonia terminal construction in Taman was detained Elena Grebenschikova by the same reason (she is 16 as well). The both girls had their passports, they went to Taman by the permission of their parents. They did not commit any unlawful acts. To all appearances the police simply decided in this way to reduce the number of participants in the campaign.

At the present moment the girls are in Temruk in the District Department of Internal affairs. The representative of Socio- Ecological Union called up to a line officer of the Department to get news about the girls. The line officer could not give a clear answer to the question as to the reason of their detention.

SEU of Western Caucasus appeals to everybody, who is concerned about the girls' further lot with the request to send protest letters against their unjustified detention in Temruk Department of Internal Affairs.

Chief of Temruk Department of Internal Affairs – lieutenant colonel Zimin Alexander Evgenyevich.

Fax: (86148)5-38-97

Tel.: (86148)5-19-72

The authorities of Temruk district, actively supporting ammonia terminal project construction on Taman peninsula contrary to the interests of the local population, are very concerned about the start of the protest campaign.

The last repressive measures are evidence of their intentions to frustrate its holding.

A. Rudomakha
(after the information transmitted to the headquarters of the campaign in Maykop by telephone)