Save Khimki Forest!

Solnechnogorsk, Moscow District,
July, 20
Today, Russian environmental activists together with journalists carried out an inspection of the forest clearing in Solnechnogorsky District near Moscow. The destruction of the old-growth forest was carried out by DorInzhStroyProekt LLC (former Teplotekhnik LLC) that hired neo-Nazis in July 2010 to attack environmental activists. The beneficiary of this project is NWCC LLC, 100% owned by Vinci Concessions Russie. NWCC LLC is the concessionary of the first section of the planned Moscow-St.Petersburg toll motorway which is to be built as a PPP project. The project is widely criticized for unnecessary damage to the Khimki Forest and other protected natural areas, multiple inconsistencies in  transportation planning, as well as for wide involvement into the project of unknown companies from tax haven jurisdictions, reportedly controlled by Russian oligarchs.
The target of the inspection was a fresh clearing near Krukovo village. Activists planned to demand permissions for the cutting down of trees, and if workers fail to provide them, to block unlawful destruction of the forest.
Such permissions are demanded by law for any cutting down of trees: “Cutting down of trees or bushes can be performed only according to a special permission given in the established way” (Law #249/2005-OZ of the Moscow District, Article 22, Paragraph 2). Despite perpetrators of the project have already destroyed thousands of trees they have never produced such a “special permission”.
This case was not an exception. Hundreds of trees were destroyed, workers used heavy machines to destroy the forest more quickly. No permission were available at the site – but there were aggressive private security guards from the Vytiaz Group instead.
Despite resistance of private securities, activists managed to block the works. No damage was done to the blocked machine or securities since the goal was just to block the illegal destruction of the forest , not inflicting any damage. Nevertheless, the securities repeatedly tried to provoke fights.
Riot police also arrived. As usual, police refused to check compliance of the clearing with the law and took the side of private securities even without trying to examine the problem. Together, they attacked activists and started to beat them. Police tried to break arms of Sergey Ageev, policemen also kicked some activists on the clearing by legs. They detained Sergei Ageev and Konstantin Shmakov with no clear reason or pretext. During  the detention, a private security hit Ageev into the chest and the jaw. 
Then a large  group of women activists decided to block works by sitting down on the clearing  across the machine’s way. A French journalist was among them, too. Surprisingly, police stopped in front of the brave women!  A few minutes ago, the machine left the clearing .
Despite a success, the two activists are still detained. We ask you to call the Krukovo police station and ask to release the activists immediately (tel. +7 (499) 733-22-20).
The detained activists were accused in "disobedience to police" which could result in up to 15 days in jail for them.
Mikhail Matveev
Co-ordinator, Movement to Defend Khimki Forest