Environmentalists were arrested and kicked in St. Petersburg near Medny Vsadnik

Today in St. Petersburg were arrested 13 activists of the action against the transportation in Russia of the nuclear wastes, also co-chairman of “Ecozashita” Vladimir Slivyak and activist of “Bellona” Vera Ponomareva. Christina Rakityanskaya, who worked there as a journalist from “Ecology and law”, was also arrested. All of the arrested are in the 1st police department of the Admiralteysky region of St. Petersburg.

The environmentalists from GROZA, Ekozaschita and Bellona presented in front of the monument of Medny Vsadnik (an official symbol of Russia in G8) a banner, saying “No to the importation of the nuclear wastes”.

The members of riot squad, who arrived there in advance, arrested the participants of the meeting within few minutes. One of the arrested was harmed, she asked for a medical care, but wasn’t given an adequate medical care.

Vladimir Slivyak didn’t participate in the meeting, but was accused of “suspicion in terrorism”.

The reason for the demonstration was the information about an agreement between the RF and the US, which allows transportation and storage on the territory of the RF thousand of tones of nuclear wastes. It is expected that the head of the Governments will announce it during the G8 summit.

“I think, that Russia can be proud for young activists, who performed against the dirty deal. They are true citizens”, - said Rebecca Harms to the journalists at Europarlament.

“Nuclear wastes will cause danger for thousand years. It’s not justly to make future generation in Russia pay for the mistakes of mankind”, - says Bellona.

“During the last 10 years Rosatom tries to make Russia an international dump of nuclear wastes. The problem of utilization of the nuclear wastes can’t be solved by many countries for years, and the actions of the Russian government is a crime to its population “, - says Vladimir Slivyak.

Russian environmentalists are against import of nuclear waste in Russia and against all possible changes of the laws which can make it easer.