Press Release, 06.06.2017

Yabloko was not allowed to participate in the parliamentary hearings on the renovation of Moscow housing, as the State Duma was frightened of unenviable uncomfortable questions the deputies had to face. The so-called “renovation” implies that a full 10 per cent of Moscow’s housing is set to be torn down and 1.6 million people moved as the city’s five-storey housing is destroyed. The government’s and the Moscow Mayor’s bill envisages resettlement of people without guaranteeing them their property rights or moving them to the flats of equal value. The government’s plan has already become a scandal, however the government insists on the adoption of the bill, but Moscow residents demonstrate and rally against it.

Yabloko Chair Emilia Slabunova, leader of the Moscow branch of the party Sergei Mitrokhin and municipal deputy of Moscow Elena Rusakova were not allowed to attend the parliamentary hearings on “renovation” of Moscow housing in the State Duma. The hearing began at 14.00.

The letter on the participation of Yabloko representatives in the hearings had been sent to Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin and the head of the Committee on Transport and Construction Yevgeny Moskvichev. However, Yabloko did not receive either a permission or a refusal from the Apparat of the Duma.

“They openly give us a runaround: they said that they did not see our statement, or that they could not find it, and they immediately run away to some meetings, they do not answer the cell phones, the numbers they gave us. They do everything to prevent us from going to the parliamentary hearings,” Emilia Slabunova said.

“A large number of Muscovites supported us in the elections to the State Duma [in 2016], and are now turning to us with their problems and indignation about how private property is being seized from Moscow residents. When 10 per cent of Muscovites give votes to our party, we understand our responsibility and are ready to defend their interests,” Emilia Slabunova noted.

“We have analysed all the aspects of the bill [on renovation] and its possible consequences, therefore, we have a perfectly clear stance on renovation. And that’s exactly what we wanted to convey,” she added.

Now Sergei Mitrokhin, leader of the Moscow branch of the party, is trying to get to the hearing, but he is not allowed to by the guards.
Video https://www.facebook.com/smitrohin?fref=ts