Attack on Rudomakha was Captured by Surveillance Camera (video)

With the permission of Alexander Saveliev, we publish a video from the outside surveillance camera that captured the attack on Andrey Rudomakh and other members of Environmental Watch. The attack took place on December 28, 2017, in Krasnodar, Russia. 

The video (camera footage begins at 00:40) shows that the attackers waited for almost an hour and a half for the activists’ car to arrive. After the environmentalists got out of the car, three masked men attacked Andrey Rudomakha, he was kicked in the head and lost consciousness. Another member of the organization, Viktor Chirikov, was punched in the stomach, and a third member was sprayed with pepper spray. The attackers also stole equipment from the vehicle, including cameras and computers. The attackers were wearing balaclavas and disappeared quickly after the attack.  

Rudomakha is still in the hospital. He had a fractured nose, a skull injury, and a concussion.

International public organizations, environmentalists, and representatives of civil society from all over the world demand an immediate and thorough investigation of the attack. The relevant appeals have already been sent to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the General Prosecutor’s Office and the administration of the Krasnodar Krai.

This is not the first time that EWNC has been the victim of a violent attack. Since 2010, over 70 violations against EWNC have been documented, including numerous physical attacks against members of the organization.[1]