Since 2014, the Russian anti-nuclear group, EcoDefense has been a target of the government’s vicious attacks aimed at undermining and maligning independent citizens’ voices. This month, the Russian authorities have escalated the repression by leveling a fine of 2 million rubles and sending punitive orders to more individuals associated with EcoDefense. This completely inhuman, undemocratic and unacceptable move deserves international condemnation. Please sign and circulate widely the petition below, initiated by our anti-nuclear groups in Germany.
Read the full description below. Sign the petition on Bürgerinitiative’s website:
Aufruf zu Solidarität mit der russischen Umweltorganisation Ecodefense | Bürgerinitiative Umweltschutz Lüchow-Dannenberg e.V.
Aufruf zu Solidarität mit der russischen Umweltorganisation Ecodefense Don’t nuke the climate – in Zusammenarbeit von BI, Ecodefense und anderen Göttingen, 16.2.2019 Deutsch English Teilnehmer*innen der 14. Atommüllkonferenz, Anti-Atom-Initiativen und Einzelpersonen protestieren mit einer Petition gegen sich verschärfende, repressive Maßnahmen der Putin-Administration gegen die russische Nichtregierungsorganisatin Ecodefense.
In July 2014, the Russian Ministry of Justice declared the environmental organization Ecodefense as so called foreign agents. After successful international protests – for example, uranium transports from the Westphalian town of Gronau to various interim storage facilities in the open air at Russian sites could be stopped, the construction of a nuclear power plant in the Kaliningrad exclave was prevented and along with South-African activists, Ecodefense played a key-role in halting the scheme to build 8 Russian nuclear reactors in South Africa – the Russian judiciary used this undemocratic instrument.
Since then, the non-governmental organization (NGO) must be observed more closely and additionally monitored. Ecodefense defends itself against the allegations of the Russian Ministry of Justice and emphasizes its independence. So far, several penal orders have been issued against the NGO, which Ecodefense has not obeyed. A personal penalty order against the director of the NGO was obeyed, the consequence was made in order not to suspend the director personally to the pressure of state power.
In the first week of February 2019, the Ministry of Justice escalated the situation: three more personally addressed punitive orders were sent and another two million rubles (about 28,000 euros) in two fines against the NGO, and Ecodefense’s account was frozen.
Ecodefense is a member of the Climate Action Network and, like the Bürgerinitiative Umweltschutz Lüchow-Dannenberg, participates critically in the global climate conferences in the alliance Don‘t Nuke The Climate. Since 2007, BI members and directors have known and appreciated the professionalism of the independent environmental organization Ecodefense, which works to protect the population from environmental damage and contributes to environmental education and information.
International solidarity
In view of intensified repression against Ecodefense, we are calling for international organizations and people to solidarity. This petition can and should be signed, shared and everyone is encouraged to write own reports on what is happening.
The petition signatures will be handed over to Federal Environmental Minister Svenja Schulze in mid-March, with the urgent request to hand in the signed petitions to the Russian Minister of Justice, Alexander Konowalow, and claim that Russian authorities also pledge to comply with international human rights conventions with Russian environmental organizations.