Only the “trusted press” was allowed into the governor’s meeting with the starving miners.

governor of the Rostov region, Irina Chetvertakova, head of the press service for On August 24, Novaya Gazeta journalists Elena Kostyuchenko and Anna Artemyeva were not allowed to attend a meeting of the starving miners with the the governor of the Rostov region. The meeting takes place in the city of Gukovo.

“You are not accredited and have not passed security checks. Only proven press works at this meeting, ”Novaya Gazeta quotes Chetvertakova as saying.

The publication notes that the miners in response also refused to go to the meeting.

"Do you want freedom of speech or your salary?" - said the mayor of Gukovo Viktor Gorenko. The journalists eventually convinced the miners to take part in the meeting.

On the morning of August 24, the regional government contacted an initiative group of miners starving in Gukovo and invited them to meet with the energy minister and the first deputy governor. It was expected that the governor of the Rostov region Vasily Golubev would also take part in this meeting. In the afternoon, at the rally, the miners decided that Golubev should come to them himself. And so it happened, but the employees of Novaya Gazeta did not get to the meeting.

After the event, the miners said that at the meeting, the governor said that he had been working on the issue of paying salaries "for two years." Golubev promised that "in the coming days" miners will be transferred 50 million rubles - out of 350 million rubles. The decision on other payments, according to the governor, may take "at least 1-2 months," the newspaper writes.

“We will not stop the hunger strike. We won't stop the rallies. This is a handout and a trap. We are disappointed,” the miners say. Nevertheless, tomorrow, August 25, a list of the first recipients of money from the governor will be compiled at the rally. The hunger strike began on 21 August.