A group of Ukraine war veterans joined protesters in Western Siberia’s Tyumen region over the weekend, accusing local officials of unlawfully seizing their homes amid a road construction dispute.
Around 50 protesters, including five men dressed in military uniforms, gathered in the city of Tyumen on Saturday to protest what they claim to be a violation of their constitutional rights, local media reported.
“Local authorities don’t hear us. They’re seizing our land,” said one of the uniformed men in a video published by the news website Nashgorod.ru. “There’s no dialogue with the authorities.”
The outlet reported that the local government filed a lawsuit against a businessman who was said to have donated nearly two dozen homes in the village of Perevalovo to war veterans and their widows. The homes were allegedly constructed despite previously approved plans for a road to be built in the same spot.
Authorities told local media that they do not plan to seize the Perevalovo village homes, but the veterans said they would continue to protest until the road construction plans are changed.
“Distrust of officials forces us to rally. We have no trust in the Investigative Committee or the prosecutor’s office,” the same uniformed veteran at Saturday’s protest told Nashgorod.ru
Federal investigators said earlier this month that law enforcement officials in the Tyumen region opened a criminal probe into fraud against the businessman who donated the properties. Local media identified him as Stanislav Borisov.
A petition against the current road construction plans was signed by around 500 people, according to one of the protest organizers.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has designated The Moscow Times as an “undesirable” organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a “foreign agent.”
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work “discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership.” We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It’s quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you’re defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.
×
Remind me next month
Thank you! Your reminder is set.
