The leader of the dockers' union from Nakhodka received 3.5 years in prison for embezzlement

The Nakhodka City Court sentenced the leader of the trade union organization of the Russian Trade Union of Dockers (RPD) of the Vostochny port, Leonid Tikhonov, to 3.5 years in prison on charges of embezzlement and misappropriation of trade union funds. A criminal case against Tikhonov was initiated in 2012; it was initiated not by members of the trade union, but by the managing director of the port, Anatoly Lazarev, the Confederation of Labor of Russia reported on Monday. In total, nine criminal cases were opened against Tikhonov under Art. 160 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (embezzlement), later they were combined into one. The investigation estimated the damage at several hundred thousand rubles. According to the case materials, money was stolen that was intended to buy New Year's gifts for workers and to order a bus for a collective outing. Port employees and trade union activists associate the criminal prosecution of Tikhonov with mass rallies and public actions in June 2012, during which workers protested against the use of “agency” labor, which leads to the loss of vacations, additional payments for hazardous working conditions and social guarantees, and also demanded salary increases. After an inspection by the State Labor Inspectorate at the port, port director Sergei Kushnarev was brought to administrative responsibility. “KTR has repeatedly emphasized that it does not doubt Leonid Tikhonov’s innocence for a minute. Without any exaggeration, we are shocked by the verdict and the fact that Tikhonov was taken into custody. Our lawyers are currently seeking a review of this harsh decision and the release of the trade union leader, at least until the verdict comes into force. Of course, the verdict will be appealed,” Boris Kravchenko, president of the Confederation of Labor of Russia and the Presidential Council for Human Rights, commented on the incident.