Human rights in Russia Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics: Not just games

Awards

On April 9, 2013, Suren Gazaryan became one of 10 winners of the contest "Hero of the Caucasus-2012" conducted by the "Caucasian Knot". During voting to determine the first among the heroes, Suren Gazaryan suggested his supporters to cast their votes in favour of Sapiyat Magomedova, an advocate from Dagestan, and she gained the majority of votes 43.4%.

On June 6, 2013, Suren Gazaryan became one of the winners of the annual National Environmental Award. Suren Gazaryan won in the category "Environment and Civil Society".

Evgeny Gennadyevich Vitishko

Evgeny Vitishko is an ecological activist from Sochi, Chairman of the public organization "Tuapse Public University", and a member of the Board of the "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus".

Biography

After finishing the secondary school, he entered the Ukhta Industrial Institute (the Republic of Komi) and graduated from it in 1996 as a mining engineer and geologist for oil and gas. He worked as a master in training at the Ukhta Industrial Institute. Later, he worked as a technical editor in the republican newspaper "Slovo i Delo" (Word and Deed) (in the town of Syktyvkar).

In 1997, he returned to Slavyansk-on-Kuban and worked as a technical editor in the regional newspapers "Solnechny Dom" (Sunny House) and "Slovo Kazaka" (Word of Cossack).

In 1999, he moved to the city of Tuapse. He worked as the leader of the group for organizing active holidays at the pension "Geologist of Yamal".

In 2001-2005, Evgeny Vitishko worked at the Municipal Unitary Enterprise (MUP) "Resorts of Black Sea". He occupied positions of the head of the tourism and excursions sector, the deputy director, and the acting director.

In 2005, he worked as the director of the travel company "Krost".

In 2006-2007, Evgeny Vitishko worked in the Office to ensure urban development activities in the Tuapse District of the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning of the Administration of the Krasnodar Territory. After the local opposition newspaper "Alterna

Till 2009, after leaving office at the Department of Architecture, Evgeny Vitishko worked at the Federal State Unitary Enterprise (FSUE) "Tuapseberegozaschita" as a chief geologist.tive" published the Evgeny Vitishko's article about the negative consequences of the merger of the city of Tuapse and the Tuapse District and the change in the Tuapse's status from the city to the urban settlement, Evgeny Vitishko was invited to resign.

Since 2009, Evgeny Vitishko is a co-founder and a staff member of Limited Liability Company (LLC) "Black Sea Department for bank protection and landslide protection works".

Work experience in public organizations

Since 2006, he is the Chairman of the Tuapse public organization "Tuapse Public Ecological Council".

In 2005, Evgeny Vitishko took part in filming the TV show "Fitil" (Fuse) on the "Russia" TV Channel, which told the audience how the company "Rosneft" contaminated the Tuapse River. As a result of the TV show, the company had to take measures to reduce the negative environmental impacts of its activities.

Evgeny Vitishko is also one of the leaders of the public campaign against the exploitation of the Tuapse Bulk Terminal (TBT). He also organized several mass ecological rallies held in Tuapse in protest against the TBT.

Actions at "Governor Tkachov's summer cottage". Prosecutions

On February 28, the magistrate court of Tuapse pronounced the verdict of guilty against members of the "Ecological Watch for Norther Caucasus", in which Evgeny Vitishko was sentenced to 10 days of arrest under Article 19.3 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation "disobedience to militiamen." The other three detainees were sentenced to 7 days of arrest to be served at a special detention facility of the UVD (Interior Department) for the Tuapse District and the city of Tuapse. On the same day, Evgeny Vitishko and three other prisoners went on hunger strike "against militia and judicial tyranny."

On March 2, the court considered the appeal filed by advocate of the detained ecologists. The court upheld the decision of the first instance court to take four activists in custody for a period of 7-10 days.

On October 30, 2011, in Tuapse, activists held a protest action against the commissioning of the Tuapse Bulk Terminal of the company "Eurokhim". Evgeny Vitishko and Evgenia Chirikova, the leader of the "Movement to Defend Khimki Forest", were detained after they reached the ship "Eugenia B" by boat and fastened on it poster reading: "Let's Save Tuapse!"

On November 13, 2011, Evgeny Vitishko and Suren Gazaryan, an activist of the "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus", conducted a public inspection of the woodland adjacent to the "Governor Tkachov's summer cottage". For making inscriptions on the fence of the "summer cottage", Evgeny Vitishko and Suren Gazaryan were sentenced to three years of conditional imprisonment.

On November 5, Sergey Mitrokhin and Andrei Rudomakha, the leaders of the "Yabloko" Party, made a statement, in which they called the verdict against Evgeny Vitishko and Suren Gazaryan unjust and the charge fabricated. The statement was also reported about surveillance after Evgeny Vitishko to accuse him of violating the regime prescribed by the judicial sentence and to sentence him to a term of imprisonment.

On May 5, 2012, the "Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners" recognized Suren Gazaryan and Evgeny Vitishko as "persons prosecuted for political reasons."

In December 2012, Evgeny Vitishko, a candidate of the "Yabloko" Party, was nominated for the election of the head of the Krymsk District of Kuban and was withdrawn from the race by the court's decision.

On December 7, 2012, on presentation, the Tuapse City Court prolonged the probation period for Evgeny Vitishko for two months and also ordered the sentenced ecologist to appear twice a month in the penal inspection for control, without the right to travel outside the Tuapse District without prior notification of the police.

In November 2013, the Tuapse Branch of the penal inspection of the Federal Penitentiary Service (known as FSIN) Department for the Krasnodar Territory filed a motion to the court to change the sentence for Evgeny Vitishko from conditional to real imprisonment.

On December 18, 2013, the Presidium of the Krasnodar Regional Court dismissed the appeal challenging the verdict against Suren Gazaryan and Evgeny Vitishko.

On December 20, the Tuapse court decided to change the sentence to Evgeny Vitishko from conditional to real imprisonment. On December 30, the Evgeny Vitishko's defence appealed against the court's decision.

The court's decision on the case against Evgeny Vitishko caused a protest of members of political parties and social and ecological organizations. On December 25, a number of Russian cities hosted rallies in support of Evgeny Vitishko.

On December 26, the organization "Human Rights Watch" (HRW) called on the Russian authorities to put an end to the prosecution of ecological activists Suren Gazaryan and Evgeny Vitishko.