In Sochi, police detained 12 people on the way to one-person pickets against corruption

In Sochi, on April 2, police detained 12 people who were planning to hold a series of solo pickets against corruption in the city center today at 15:00. This was reported by the "Caucasian Knot" with reference to the detainees themselves. Three activists were taken to the police station of the Central District of Sochi on Gorky Street, nine more - to the police station of the Adler district.

One of the detainees, Pavel Butorin, told the publication that he was detained along with his wife near their private house, to which a police car drove up and took them in different directions. According to him, the detention was explained by “an orientation on suspicion of taking drugs,” and his wife was suspected “of stealing some kind of wallet.”

“Neither I nor my wife used any drugs and did not steal wallets. Today we wanted to go to single pickets in the center of Sochi against corruption. But we did not have time to leave, when at about 10:30 in the morning an operative of the criminal investigation department came to us and demanded to go with him. A PPS car was waiting outside. My wife was immediately taken to Gorky, 60, and I was taken to the drug dispensary at 157, Plastunskaya, for an examination. The examination showed that I did not use drugs, and I was released. My wife testified at the police department that she was not involved in the theft, but she is still being held by the police,” Butorin said.

When he entered the building of the police department for his wife, he was also detained there. “I am now charged with holding an unsanctioned rally. I managed to notify the lawyer about this, ”Butorin said.

The police also detained activist Suren Edigarov, explaining that he allegedly smelled of alcohol. He was brought to a drug dispensary for an examination, which showed that he was sober. After that, he was taken to the police station of the Central District of Sochi to the head of police Alexander Sergeevich Bondarev.

“Alexander Sergeevich explains to me that there is no need to go to the picket in connection with the unrest in the country, and tells me to tell the rest, since the police are forced to stop these actions even if they do not violate the law,” Suren Edigarov conveyed his conversation with head of the Sochi police department.

Activist Vyacheslav Krivonosenko told the publication that nine activists met today at about 2 p.m. in Komsomolsky Square and wanted to disperse into single pickets, but several police officers immediately approached them, “brought a PAZik and took everyone away on it.”

“But for some reason, we were all taken not to the police of the Central District, which is located a kilometer from the place of detention, but to the Adler police, on Kirpichnaya Street, 2, which is 50 km from the place of detention. We were all taken there and they are interrogating us, taking passport data. They talk about orientation. They don’t accuse of anything, they don’t show anything, but they don’t let go either. We are all sitting in the police,” Krivonosenko said.

The police department of the Adler district confirmed to the publication that they had nine people, without specifying the reason for the delivery.

It is also known that a man named Daniil Hegman was detained.

The surname Krivonosenko has been corrected in the news.