Militiamen detained a participant of an ecologic meeting in Tuapse for using a black and green flag

During the meeting held in Tuapse on October, 3, militia officers detained Roman Krylov, animal-defending activist, for using a black and green flag.

According to what Roman Krylov told a reporter of "Caucasian Knot", Alexander Ruchkin, militia sergeant, came up to him demanding to show his documents the moment when the meeting of protest against local authorities had turned into a procession and almost all the participants had left the square.

According to Krylov, he asked the militiamen about the reason of the document check and got an answer that he was holding "a suspicious Chechen flag and had a band on his face".

"In order not to release me just for free they told me they would make a record in the protocol that I had been drinking beer in a children's playground. After that they forced me to sign a blank protocol. I have no idea what they are going to write there", Krylov said. "They told me I would get a summons to hearing an administrative case where I would have to prove my innocence. After the conversation with Tuapse militia personnel it became clear to me they did not realize that Chechnya was part of Russia for I initially drew their attention to myself by the flag which they called a "Chechen" one".

While Krylov was being held on for drawing up the protocol the participants of the meeting reported the event to Sergey Mitrokhin, leader of "Yabloko" party. As "Yabloko" had been the organizer of the action Mitrokhin right from the tribune demanded from the militiamen to release the detained person, promising that otherwise he would "kick up a fuss". In several minutes the news appeared that Krylov had already been released.