Russia’s Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin asked Public Prosecutor
Yury Chaika to examine whether the government’s decision to
construct a highway Moscow – St.Petersburg that has to go
through the Khimki forest was lawful.
In accordance with the order of the Government the lands
of the Khimki forest were transferred to the category of “industrial
lands”.
In his letter to Public Prosecutor Vladimir Lukin noted that
the Khimki forest is a protected natural territory in accordance
with the Forestry Code, thus any cuttings should be prohibited
there.
Even after transfer of these lands into an industrial category,
this prohibition will be still valid. In this case the decision
of constructing a highway which has to go through the forest
violates the law, as it envisages total cutting of trees in
the construction site, runs the letter.
Lukin also recalled that when examining several variants
of the construction project the government chose the most
“economically profitable” project, which allowed for construction
of infrastructure objects along the highway, thus, maximally
harming the environment.
YABLOKO has been engaged in the protection of the Khimki
forest for a long time already: the party held different actions,
rallies and press-conferences, participated in round table
discussions also applied to the Vinci company and the EBRD
asking them to curb their participation in the project, and
also applied to the State Duma asking not to adopt the changes
into the Forestry Code.
See also:
Human
Rights
YABLOKO
for Ecology
The Battle for Khimki
Forest
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