Authorities pursue ecologists
21.05.2000
On 7 September four strangers, who introduced themselves as detectives from the Moscow Criminal Investigation Department, detained Vladimir Sliviak.
Vladimir Sliviak is the coordinator of the antinuclear campaign carried out by the Social-Ecological Union, the largest union of ecologists in Eurasia awarded by the UNO for outstanding successes. He began his public activities in 1989, organized dozens of campaigns for the protection of nature in various regions of Russia and Europe. He is the author of many articles on the environment protection and on non-violation as the only reasonable form of protest. Besides, Mr. Sliviak is a member of the working group for creation of the law on the radioactive safety. He is also a member of the international ecological group . Ecozashchita. (. Environment protection. ) and the editor of the Russian department of the World Information Service on energy production. From this list of positions it is clearly seen that environment-polluting authorities may have a grudge against him.
One of the four detectives named himself as senior lieutenant Kosterkov from the 6 thdepartment of the Moscow Criminal Investigation Department (the department fights with terrorism). Mr. Sliviak was detained near his house and, without explanations, was thrown to the militia car. His captors threatened to beat him, if Mr. Sliviak refuses to answer their questions. When Kosterkov found that Sliviak gave a false answer, he produced from his pocket a package with marijuana and promised . to find this package in Sliviak. s bag, for which he will get a three-year term in prison. . Kosterkov kept repeating that ecological organizations are directly connected with the terrorists, who organized the explosion on the Manezh square on 31 August.
Sliviak insisted to be brought to the militia precinct, but his demand was ignored. After one hour and a half of the interrogation within the car Mr. Sliviak was pushed out, but his identification documents were not returned to him. When he asked for his documents, the detectives drove away. One of them cried from the window that Sliviak . may regard himself arrested. .
Vladimir Sliviak is the coordinator of the antinuclear campaign carried out by the Social-Ecological Union, the largest union of ecologists in Eurasia awarded by the UNO for outstanding successes. He began his public activities in 1989, organized dozens of campaigns for the protection of nature in various regions of Russia and Europe. He is the author of many articles on the environment protection and on non-violation as the only reasonable form of protest. Besides, Mr. Sliviak is a member of the working group for creation of the law on the radioactive safety. He is also a member of the international ecological group . Ecozashchita. (. Environment protection. ) and the editor of the Russian department of the World Information Service on energy production. From this list of positions it is clearly seen that environment-polluting authorities may have a grudge against him.
One of the four detectives named himself as senior lieutenant Kosterkov from the 6 thdepartment of the Moscow Criminal Investigation Department (the department fights with terrorism). Mr. Sliviak was detained near his house and, without explanations, was thrown to the militia car. His captors threatened to beat him, if Mr. Sliviak refuses to answer their questions. When Kosterkov found that Sliviak gave a false answer, he produced from his pocket a package with marijuana and promised . to find this package in Sliviak. s bag, for which he will get a three-year term in prison. . Kosterkov kept repeating that ecological organizations are directly connected with the terrorists, who organized the explosion on the Manezh square on 31 August.
Sliviak insisted to be brought to the militia precinct, but his demand was ignored. After one hour and a half of the interrogation within the car Mr. Sliviak was pushed out, but his identification documents were not returned to him. When he asked for his documents, the detectives drove away. One of them cried from the window that Sliviak . may regard himself arrested. .