A criminal case was opened in Chelyabinsk against the leader of the “Stop GOK” movement

In Chelyabinsk, a criminal case was opened against the leader of the movement against the construction of the Tominsky Mining and Processing Plant (Stop GOK) Vasily Moskovets. He is charged with inciting hooliganism with the use of objects used as weapons by a group of persons by prior conspiracy (Part 4 of Article 33 of the Criminal Code, Part 2 of Article 213 of the Criminal Code). OVD-Info was told about this by the international human rights group "Agora" with reference to lawyer Olga Lepekhina.

“This is a fictitious accusation for the events of last summer. <...> He was prosecuted after the fact and decided to involve him only when Moskovets announced his intention to participate in the elections for the mayor of Chelyabinsk,” said Agora lawyer Olga Lepekhina, who represents the interests of the activist.

The resolution to initiate a criminal case states that from June 11 to September 11, 2017, activists of the “Stop GOK” movement persuaded movement participants and “an unknown number of individuals to commit hooliganism.” The document claims that all this was done in order to disorganize the construction and operation of the enterprise.

The resolution also states that activists created a detachment of about 100 people, which did not allow police officers and security guards to enter the plant’s territory. But the main task of this detachment was allegedly to intimidate workers using gas canisters and Molotov cocktails.

• The confrontation between the authorities of the Chelyabinsk region and local residents is due to the construction of a mining and processing plant (GOK). Previously, particularly active opponents of the construction conflicted primarily with security guards and aggressive young men, who, apparently, were hired by the Russian Copper Company (RMK) involved in the construction. The authorities are preventing rallies against the mining and processing plant and are filing cases against activists. OVD-Info talked about this conflict.
• In February and March 2018, leaflets and graffiti appeared in Chelyabinsk and Kopeysk with insults against activists and their relatives and calls for the murder of Stop GOK activist Sergei Belogorokhov.
• In 2017, one of the activists of the “Stop GOK” movement became a defendant in a criminal case of hooliganism committed based on political and ideological hatred (Part 2 of Article 213 of the Criminal Code). Supporters of the movement called the case a provocation by the special services. Later, the activist claimed that employees of Center “E” forced the activist to slander Moskovets and refuse the services of a lawyer.