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The Newsletter of
the
Socio-Ecological Union
A Center for Coordination
and Information
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Moscow, Russia -- Issue 7 (41),
March, 2003
SEU Times is a newsletter devoted to environmental news, events, NGO work
within former Soviet Union territory. Currently it is mailed out on special
occasions.
MORE NEWS IN ENGLISH FROM SEU-TERRITORY are available on Ecoport - green
news project English version at http://www.seu.ru/news_en/npa.php
NEW!!!
CURRENT FOREST NEWS FROM SEU TERRITORY are now available at
www.forest.ru/eng/news
IN THIS ISSUE:
FARID TUKHBATULLIN IS SENTENCED TO 3 YEARS OF IMPRISONMENT
SEAL-PUPS NEED YOUR PROTECTION
"THEY ARE KIDS, NOT SKINS":
$2000 FOR DANUBE DELTA
FARID TUKHBATULLIN IS SENTENCED TO 3 YEARS OF IMPRISONMENT
March 4, 2003 the court of Azatlyck of Ashgabat (Turkmen capital) has
sentenced prisoner of conscience Farid Tukhbatullin to 3 years of
imprisonment. Tukhbatullin is the employee of Dashoguz environmental
club and the member of International Socio-ecological Union (ISEU), he
is the citizen of Russia.
The court is found the environmentallist guilty of illegall crossing
the border from Uzbekistan into Turkmenistan (Article 214 Part 1 of
the Turkmen Criminal Code) and of concealing a serious criminal act
(Article 212 Part 1).
In fact, Farid Tukhbatullin was convicted of participation in Human
Rights Conference organized by International Helsinki Federation for
Human Rights and the Memorial Human Rights Centre, and of refusing to
disclose information contended in the statements of participants of
the conference. According to the Turkmenistan authorities at the
conference had been discussed the plans of attempt to life of the
President of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov.
In the himan rights conference, organized by International Helsinki
Federation and Memorial, the representatives of such international
human rights organizations as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty
International, the International League for Human Rights took part.
All the participants witnessed for Farid Tukhbatullin and gave their
evidence that the speeches on the conference had purely humanitarian
content and had not include information of any prepared criminal acts
against government. But the authorities of Turkmenistan have regarded
the participation of Farid Tukhbatullin in the conference, and the
fact of refusing to disclose the information on issues of the
conference as a criminal offence.
US and Great Britain Embassy, OSCE representatives, friends and
colleagues were not let into the court house and had to wait outside.
The hearings lasted for approximately 4 hours. Only 3 relatives and
Farid`s attorney were let in.
***
Farid Tukhbatullin, co-chairman of the Ecological Club in Dashoguz, in
Northern Turkmenistan, was arrested on 23 December 2002. He was taken
to the Ministry of National Security investigative isolator in the
capital Ashgabat. Tukhbatullin was accused of illegal crossing of the
Turkmenistan border (Article 214 of the Turkmen Criminal Code) and of
concealing a serious criminal act (Article 212). The first charge
relates to an incident when Turkmen border guards for unknown reasons
failed to stamp his passport upon his return from Uzbekistan. The
second one to participation of Tukhbatullin in the human rights
conference organized in Moscow by International Helsinki Federation
and Memorial Human Rights Center. Authorities consider that on the
conference the attempt on life of the president of Turkmenistan
Saparmurat Niyazov was discussed.
Reliable sources reported that Farid Tukhbatullin may be was tortured
and ill-treated in the Ministry of National Security investigative
isolator where the ecologist had been held before the court trial. In
the cource of preliminary investigation Farid Tukhbatullin's lawyer
has been denied access to his client under various pretexts. On 26
February, for example, he was told that he could not see Farid
Tukhbatullin because of "repair work" in the investigation-isolation
prison of the Ministry of National Security.
On November 25, 2002 a gunmen assaulted the president's armoured
motorcade, injuring one person. President Niyazov was unharmed, but
attempt has provoked a new wave of repression in the country. Actually
Tukhbatullin has become the victim of the wave of crackdown followed
the attack and curtail of freedom of expression and the work of human
rights defenders.
Later we will inform you what you can do to help free Farid.
SEAL-PUPS NEED YOUR PROTECTION
Since February, 28 on the White sea the fishery of pups of seal -
whitecoats has began. They are killed to get their fluffy white fur.
The International Socio-ecological Union (ISEU) acts against that
barbarity and asks children and adults to stand up for nice small
animals just came into the world.
What can you do?
Do not buy produce made of fur of whitecoat and suint (newly born and
four weeks-old pups of seal). Tell your friends and acquaintances of
the facts related to production of this fur.
Ask your children to draw whitecoats and send these pictures with
signature to the President of Russia V.Putin.
Send the letter to the President of Russia with request to him to
cancel the veto, which he have earlier interposed to passed by the
State Duma law on protection of animals against cruel treatment.
Send the letter to the Government of Russia for it to introduce to the
State Duma for ratification Agreement on international standards of
humane catching of wild animals signed by EU, Canada and Russia, in
which hunt for whitecoats is banned.
To tell about the action to persuade more (as many as possible) people
to take part in it.
If the office of the President will receive thousands of these
letters, may be he would listen to voices of children and stop this
bad business.
Send your letter for protection of seal-pups from you personally and
on behalf your organization, engage your friends and relatives. Do it
today!
The example of the letter you can get from our website:
www.seu.ru/projects/eng/tulenie or by e-mail, having addressed to SEU
CCI: seupress@seu.ru.
"THEY ARE KIDS, NOT SKINS":
Children From Ural Send Letters To Russian President For Protection Of
Whitecoats In Sverdlovsk region (Ural) the action in address of the
President V.Putin has began. During the action the environmentalists
plan to send the letters from children, children's drawings and
appeals with request to cancel the veto from the Law on protection of
animals against cruel treatment accepted by State Duma (Parliament) in
1999, which forbids hunt for newly born mammals.
In the end of February the regular killing of whitecoats (seal-pups)
has began in the north part of Russia. On the eve of the spring seals
move closer to the coast of White Sea to born and bring up pups. It's
as easy as pie to get seal-pups, they are absolutely helpless -
because of thick fur they cannot swim at all, hunters straight on the
ice slaughter them by sticks and hooks. Sometimes whitecoats suffer
even more painful death: they are taken on the coast and for three
weeks are kept in cages, until their fur become grey and more
valuable, then they are killed. For all this time whitecoats aren't
fed, they live due to subcutaneous fat. It is incredible, but this
bloody slaughter does not stop, but is branched out in the near
future.
There is a bill already in Russia passed by State Duma, in which there
is clause that forbids that activity, in 2000 former Russian President
Yeltsin vetoed this law. The quota for seal-fishery is increased: for
2003 it amounts to 60-80 thousands of pups of Greenland seal (for
comparison: in 1990-s years the joint quota for Russia and Norway was
40 thousand of seals).
The new president of Russia took the stand of his predecessor.
Vladimir Putin sent the letter to the State Duma, in which he says
that there is no necessity in such a law, because it has no its
subject of legal regulation. Parliamentarian weren't convinced by this
answer, and they made up conciliatory commission to override
presidential veto. But while the conciliatory process drags on, the
hunters us their bludgeons and guns again: the total killing of
whitecoats goes on.
Besides not so long ago The Government of Russia has signed the
Agreement on the international standards on humane catching of wild
animals between the EU, Canada and Russia, where the it is forbidden
to hunt seal-pups. But the government, however till now hasn't
introduced it to the State Duma for ratification.
"The every-year slaughter of the seal-pups in our country, which ranks
itself to the civilized world, should be stopped. Russia should ratify
the Agreement on international standards on humane catching of wild
animals? which it has already signed.
Children write these words on their drawings: "Mr. President, they are
not skins, they are babies". It would be desirable to believe, that
our President will listen to the opinion of young citizens of Russia",
- says Olga Podosenova, the coordinator of the programs of Ural
Environmental Union.
The action announced by ISEU on gathering of appeals to V.Putin, in
Ekaterinburg is supported by Ural Environmental Union. In the action
took part school N 110 and kindergarten N 75 of Ekaterinburg, and the
Station of young naturalists from Kamensk-Uralsky (Sverdlovsk region).
For further information:
Ural Environmental Union, Ekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Region, Russia
Olga Podosenova
ph.: 7 (3432) 74-82-40,
e-mail: eco@ural.ru
$2000 FOR DANUBE DELTA
In the end of February in Kiev (the capital of Ukraine) the meeting of
defenders of known Danube Delta Biosphere reserve and the press
conference of the participants of the campaign for its protection were
held.
Already before the new 2003 year it became known that thanks to active
protest of "green" movement the President of Ukraine has rejected the
decree of building of navigation canal through the reserve, which is
under aegis of UNESCO and one part of which is situated on the
territory of Romania.
However the Ministry of Transport of Ukraine - the main lobbyist of
the canal building - doesn't give up attempts to carry out the
construction of the canal through the reserve. Now the project
protested by the world community is submitted again for state
environmental assessment together with ostensibly alternative project
of the canal.
According to the legislation of Ukraine, having submitted the
materials for environmental assessment the developers of the project
must give also the information on possible alternative variant of
construction. Earlier the authors of the project of canal destructive
for the reserve tried to pass the assessment without an alternative
variant. After mass protests they were compelled to act legally, but
expectedly it was done only for show - as the alternative wittingly
was submitted frankly unprofitable variant, instead of one developed
by "Projectgydrostroy" and supported by environmentalists.
The creators of the project are ready to do anything, said on the
press conference in Kiev Aleksander Voloshkevich, the head of the
Danube reserve. In November 2002 the Transport Ministry of Ukraine
pressed for the variant of canal with partial resettle in Vilkovo town
(famous "Ukrainian Venice" where the office of the reserve is
situated) and construction there large transfer point, including for
transfer of chemicals.
To create "public" discontent with the Danube reserve and doubt of its
necessity the supporters of the project of canal descend to bribery.
For example they paid 10 thousands of grivna (about $2 thousands) to
local school for support of their activity.
"All these things take place in conditions of incredible secrecy. It
is impossible even to receive the materials of environmental
assessment, as the developers have referred that this information is
in their ownership," - comment the participants of the campaign in
protection of the reserve.
"It is obvious for a long time, however, that the secrecy always
appears where the law is broken, it covers illegal acts of authority
or business structures", said Olga Berlova, the participant of the
press conference from Russia, the representative of the Center for
co-ordination and information of International Socio-ecological Union
(ISEU CCI).
The developer of the project - the commercial company Delta Lotsman -
gone too far that it declares that it has developed the project of
amendments to the Decree of the President of Ukraine "On creation of
the Danube Biosphere reserve". In other words the company tries to
point out to the Ukrainian Government, where the borders of the
reserve, which have the highest international status, must lay.
Whatever reason give the project developers to achieve realization of
the project of canal through the reserve that is profitable for
themselves, not for nature of the state. One of the specialists
engaged by them have stated that there is no unusual in building of
navigation canal through the biosphere reserve, citing as an example
"similar" territories in the deltas of Mississippi and Thames. It is
known, however, that there are no biosphere reserve in the deltas of
those two rivers, moreover it is non correct to compare them to the
richest nature of the Danube delta.
The environmentalists will continue the confrontation, and they are
sure that with support of the world community they will be able to
protect "a piece of the lost world" - the delta of Danube called so by
those who were lucky to visit it.
For further information: http://www.seu.ru/projects/eng/dunay/
seupress@seu.ru
Back to SEU Times home page
This issue was written and complied by
Sviatoslav Zabelin - the SEU Council Co-Chair, svet@seu.ru
Olga Berlova, Alla Kapoustina seupress@seu.ru
Previous Issues of The SEU Times may be found at www.seu.ru/seu-news/eng
"The Online Gadfly" at www.igc.org/gadfly
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