Russia: Second activist jailed in Sochi area
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 5 February 2014 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russia: Second activist jailed in Sochi area, 5 February 2014, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5331450b2c.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
February 05, 2014
A Russian court in the Sochi region has sentenced an ecology activist to five days in jail for resisting police.
Igor Kharchenko of the group Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (EWNC) was put on trial behind closed doors in the city of Krasnodar on February 5.
An associate, Olga Soldatova, said Kharchenko had no lawyer nor any witnesses in the courtroom.
Another member of the EWNC, Yevgeny Vitishko, was jailed two days earlier for 15 days for swearing in public.
The group has been monitoring the environmental impact of Olympic construction in Sochi.
In a statement, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said harassment of local activists is more harmful to Russia's image than any criticism they could have voiced.
Amnesty International called Kharchenko's trial "blatantly unfair" and said it considers both Kharchenko and Vitishko "prisoners of conscience."
Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and RFE/RL
Link to original story on RFE/RL website