Section: Policy

Ust-Ordynski Buryat autonomous district. Two opponents of a merger of Ust-Ordynski district and Irkutsk region arrested in Ust-Ordynski 8 April. One of them Valery Alexeev, a deputee of town Duma of Ust-Ordynski, tried to register a propaganda group �against� for referendum on the merger planned for 16 April. Registration was refused due to formal reasons. Another arrested � Ivan Manuev � a member of a Council of a public organisation �Congress of the Buryat people". Valery Alexeev is incriminated financing publication of a newsletter �We are against�. Ivan Manuev while driving his car was stopped by road police with the alleged reason of checking documents. Then appeared two officers in civvies who commanded him to follow them to the police where he was examined. During examination a booklet �Why we are against merger� explaining groundlessness of the merger was found. He was also charged with �illegal propaganda�. These two public persons gave a written undertaking not to leave the town and in fact are put under house arrest. They have to constantly come for questioning to the Department on counter-terrorism and organised crime.

The same day in Ulan-Ude, Buryat republic, FSB officers searched a private print house in the Buryat Institute of Up-Grading of Personnel in the field of Education (BIPKRO). During search 30 thousand copies of leaflets ordered by the Congress of the Buryat people containing arguments against the merger were found and confiscated. In the office of the director of the Institute an edition of the newsletter �We are against� was found and confiscated. The newsletter was ordered by Valery Alexeev at that time arrested in Ust-Ordynski.

The print house owner Sergey Khandarhaev was arrested and conveyed to FSB were he was questioned during 5 hours. The administration of BIPKRO under the pressure is driving the print house out.