A police officer in the village of Poltavskaya came to the home of environmental activist Natalya Garyaeva because of a broadcast in which she talked about a fire at a local landfill. A video of Goryaeva’s story about the police visit was published by the YouTube channel “TV State Farm”.
“Today a police officer visited me and took an explanation about the live broadcast on the TV Sovkhoz channel, where I spoke about violations at the Poltava landfill. They accuse me of spreading false information and they are trying to hold me accountable for it. I explained that all the information I provided live was based on real facts and evidence,” says the activist.
According to Garyaeva, the policeman showed her a report according to which she allegedly called for illegal rallies. The environmental activist explained that due to the fire at the landfill, the village of Poltavskaya was exposed to smoke that was dangerous to the health of local residents. Local authorities did not respond to Garyaeva’s requests to introduce a state of emergency, and therefore she suggested “going to the administration and demanding.”
“I believe that there is a deliberate persecution going on,” continues Garyaeva. “This became possible thanks to the merging of business and government in our Krasnoarmeysky district. They are working closely together to advocate for the landfill and are trying to essentially silence me.”
On January 12, 2024, environmental activist from Poltava Natalya Garyaeva spoke about threats, denunciations and the provocation being prepared against her. She recorded a video appeal to the authorities and sent a written appeal to Vladimir Putin - both are available in the telegram channel “Poltava against the landfill.”
Since December, Garyaeva has been receiving threats, and Rosprirodnadzor and LLC MP Housing and Public Utilities of the Krasnoarmeisky District have been writing denunciations to the prosecutor’s office based on a video in which she sees signs of falsification. According to the activist, employees of the Kamavtoresurs LLC enterprise, which she manages, are interrogated and forced to give false testimony that she allegedly does not pay taxes, is engaged in illegal business and fraud.
Garyaeva also claims that a provocation is being prepared against her: they plan to conduct searches and plant prohibited substances or weapons in order to open a criminal case. The woman connects what is happening with her activities to protect the village of Poltavskaya in the Krasnodar Territory from a landfill.
- Activists from the village of Poltavskaya are fighting the construction of a landfill. Because of this, they regularly face pressure. In mid-April, the spouses Vadim Motovilov and Natalya Garyaeva participating in the protest were searched as part of the case under the article on the destruction of a car license plate (Article 326 of the Criminal Code), accounting and tax documents were confiscated from their places of work.
- OVD-Info, together with Novaya Tab, told the story of the protracted struggle of the residents of the village of Poltavskaya with a huge landfill. Local resident Yuri Trubachev, who uses a wheelchair, gave an interview to OVD-Info last year about his participation in protests against the landfill.