Védegylet - Russians living next to our nuclear waste have been well interrogated

28th April 2005 - Three Russians living in the vicinity of the Hungarian nuclear waste who came to Budapest with the aim to meet Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany have been detained and interrogated for hours. We think that their acts` social hazard has not reached the level that would have justified the reaction of the police.

Several human right defender, green and ecopolitical organisation have raised objections against the Polices action.

Statement of objection

Undersigned human rights and environmentalist organisations express their astonishment that the Police today failed again to observe caution towards people that peacefully express their opinion. This morning the police detained at the Kossuth square three Russian nationals wishing to meet Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany. Last October Vlagimir Slivjak, Ramzis Faizullin and Gossman Kabirov have written a letter to the Hungarian head of government wherein they have asked him to terminate the contract with the Russian government regarding the Hungarian nuclear waste to be transported to Russia.

Two of these men arrived to Budapest from one of the worlds most polluted territories, from Mayak, in order to raise attention to the dangers of nuclear waste. Mayak, situated in the vicinity of Celjabinsk, is the place where the Hungarian nuclear waste has been previously processed, which severely injured the population and polluted the soil and the waters. The two men brought along some soil and water from Mayak to symbolically testify the hopelessness of their living condition.

The undersigned are aware of the fact the laws of the Republic of Hungary apply to all, to the habitants and to the foreign visitors as well. The act on the right to freedom of association makes no exception to this rule. It is nevertheless questionable whether to what extent three men appearing in front of the Parliament can be considered a demonstration. Even if so, their detention and hours-long interrogation is an overreaction of the Police. We think that their acts social hazards have not reached the level that would have justified the reaction of the Police. We expect from the Hungarian authorities to soon override these - by all means unacceptable - measures.

Budapest, 26th April 2005.

Signatories:
Energy Club (Energia Klub)
Greenpeace
Hungarian Helsinki Committee (Magyar Helsini Bizottság)
Hungarian Civil Liberties Unio*n (Társaság A Szabadságjogokért)
Protect the Future (Védegylet)

Translated by Zsuzsa Koger.