Environmental defender of the Krylatskiye Hills fined under protest law for park vigil

The Kuntsevo District Court of Moscow found Yekaterina Gorbacheva guilty of violating the rules for holding a public event and fined her 15,000 rubles (about US$165). This was reported by her OVD-Info defence lawyer, Evgeny Kurakin.

On 2 May, police detained Gorbacheva and several other activists who were on duty at a tent near the park.

The detainees were taken to the police station (OVD). Each had a report filed under the law on public assemblies, and the tent was dismantled by the authorities.

Two weeks later, the court returned the reports to the police, considering that they lacked sufficient information for prosecution.

• Since last summer, construction works involving heavy machinery have been ongoing at the Krylatskiye Hills. This has already led to the destruction of topsoil, the death of plants, and the migration of animals, including species listed in the Red Data Book. More than 70 hectares of the park have become inaccessible to local residents.