In 9-th of May, at 12:45 in Kiev in front of the Ukrainian House, where the EBRD summit is taking place 5 activists of "Rainbow Keepers"
environmental movement, "Ecozakhyst" and "Tigra Nigra" groups, Social - Ecologycal Union were arrested unmotivately. They tried to inform the summit participants about the problems, caused by the EBRD policy
in Ukraine, particularly by EBRD project to finance new nuclear reactors
(R2/K4) completion in Rivne and Khmelnitsky NPPs.
The court sentenced them to several days of arrest, that had already
being promised by Ukrainian securities as "localization" for the time of
the EBRD meeting. The EBRD participants, in full view of whom that
happen, should get deep in thought about what the ways do their calm provide
with, and is there a possibility to provide a public participation process.
And how they would behave towards you if you expressed your opinion not
having your EBRD participant's badge.
* * *
The persecution of NGO's has been started on the even of EBRD summit.
From 5 to 9 of May the activists were forced be interviewed by Ukrainian
Security Service (USS - former Ukrainian KGB) for several times. The security
officials interested about actions which had been planed for the
time of the EBRD summit. Some of the activists were threatened
with arrest for the time of the summit in case if they will try to
organize the action.
They where also threatened with discrediting them through rumors
about them cooperating with the Security Service, getting them expelled
from the University and by physical violence. There were even proposals for a job for USS. These days the activists were checked at their
flats, on the streets, they were shadowed, and their telephones were
monitored. Shortly before the summit the computer was stolen from activist's flat.
These events show that traditions of totalitarian regime are still alive in Ukraine. In such circumstances, the activists of the
"Rainbow Keepers" and "Tigra Nigra" were left with no other choice but to make these stories known.