HRC Memorial member in Krasnodarsky krai under pressure

Anastasia Denisova, member of HRC Memorial in Krasnodarsky krai, member and correspondent of Youth human rights movement, gave us the following information.

On August 2009, Anastasia and photo-correspondent Yuriy Ivaschenko went to Abkhazia. When Anastasia went through passport checkpoint in Adler (Russia) she noticed that her passport provoked animation in the officers. Anastasia was taken to a closed building on the territory of border services. She was asked to fill out customs declaration although she did not have anything to declare. Her luggage and that of Yuriy were examinated. They spent at the checkpoint over 1 hour.  

One week later, on August 27, Anastasia and Yuriy were leaving Abkhazia. At the security check-point human rights activist and photo-correspondent were ordered to fill out declaration forms. Officers interrogated Anastasia, putting pressure on her and threatening her. Anastasia's luggage was examined. Information from Yuriy's computer was copied to a portable hard dick. The reason of such a strong check was, according to the officer, "suspicion of transportation of illegal information". The officers refused to answer most of Anastasia's questions. This time Anastasia and Yuriy spent almost seven hours at the checkpoint.  

Anastasia regards this events as an attempt to intimidate a human rights activist.

For more information (in Russian) visit Memorial site: http://www.memo.ru/2009/09/11/1109092.htm

September 11, 2009