The visitors called themselves representatives of the companies
that are planning construction in Utrish. The ground area of the
Utrish forestry reserve is rented by the Fund "Dar".
At first the visitors offered a compensation for Andrey
Rudomacha and Dmitry Shevchenko to make them give up their struggle
against the building of the sport and the recreational complex in
Bolshoy Utrish. They had also threatened the heads of the
Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus and their relatives to stop
the activity of the organization before.
The persons concerned for the construction in Utrish have
started threatening activists. It is seemed that they are supported
by the authorities.
Presidential Property Management Department is considered in
approving the construction plans in Utrish. Refuting rumors, the
Department s spokesmen said that they would take measures to bring
to justice those who spread the false information to besmear the
Department. It is known that Mr. Shevelev, head of State Natural
Reserve, has arranged the meeting of Mr. Rudomacha, Mr. Shevchenko
and the visitors in their office. Mr. Rizatulin, head of
Geopolitics and Environment Department of Ministry of Natural
Resources, at first supported construction in Utrish and after took
part in a slapstick called "Public consultation on building of
fire-prevention road".
"Those who are struggling for building in Utrish don t
understand that more then 50 cities in Russia take part in the
protest against the construction. If the Ecological Watch for
Northern Caucasus is eliminated, we will expect more protests in
Russia then now,"- said Mikhail Kraindlin, head of the Project on
the Specially Protected Territories.
"A lot of people in Russian and in other countries will be
disaffected because of the threats towards The Ecological Watch for
Northern Caucasus. Inactivity in protecting the reserve must get
worse the image of Russian government in the eyes of international
and Russian community. And it may lead to mass protests in Russia
and especially in the South Federal Region," - Mr. Kraindlin
said.
Greenpeace Russia has sent a letter to Ministry of Defense and
to Federal Security Service of Russia due to the threats towards
the activists of the Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus.