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Burgerrechten activist vermoord in Sint Petersburg
Save Yuntolovo - 20.12.2007 13:11
St. Petersburg, Russia -- Dmitry Troyan, a civic activist defending the rights of property owners along the planned route of the St. Petersburg Western High Speed Diameter (WHSD) expressway died in hospital yesterday after being beaten by anonymous attackers last Friday.
PRESSRELEASE, DECEMBER 19 2007 - Murder of St. Petersburg activist casts shadow over Western High Speed Diameter project
As chairman of the regional branch of the Russian Association of Car Drivers, Dmitry Troyan assisted the owners of garages to file legal claims for fair compensation for their property, which is to be expropriated to make space for the expressway. Troyan managed to win several court cases against the City, in which the garage proprietors were given the right to compensation of 150 000 rubles, a several-fold increase on that offered by the city authorities. Troyan’s colleagues speculate that the murder might be connected with his involvement in the compensation claims regarding the WHSD.
The USD 3 billion expressway, which should enter operation in 2011, is regarded as a strategic investment by the Russian authorities, and would involve the construction of 28-miles of eight-lane roads linking the city with existing highways to Helsinki and Moscow. The tender process for the private concessionaire to build and operate the expressway for 30 years is currently taking place. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World Bank Group and other multilateral lenders have expressed interest in financing the project.
Tatyana Skrodenis from the Save Yuntolovo environmental initiative commented: "We have serious doubts that this murder is a mere coincidence. Frightening activists has become a common practice in Russia in recent years. The Russian authorities do not hesitate to use illegal methods to prevent people from participation in decision-making. We had hoped that the presence of international lending institutions would guarantee some legitimate treatment of the people affected by the project". She added that she and her colleagues have serious reasons to fear for their lives.
Mikhail Druzhininsky from United Actions Committee who has been active against the
WHSD project said "With Troyan’s death, we are not giving up our fight against the motorway. We are going to conduct our own investigation into this murder, and it is very important to ensure the safety of our activists that work in different fields”.
Disputed property claims are not the only problem connected with the new expressway. The environmental movement has complained about the motorway’s harm to vulnerable natural areas such as Yuntolovsky nature reserve, the Gulf of Finland and the delta of the Neva river, which are all in the vicinity of the planned road. [1]
For more information, contact:
Tatyana Skrodenis
Save Yuntolovo
 t.skrodenis@gmail.com
Vera Ponomareva
Save Yuntolovo
vera.ponomareva@gmail.com
Tel: +7 812 558 8006
Mikhail Druzhininsky
mishatram@mail.ru
Mob: +7 951 6432100
Notes for editors:
1. To read more about the St. Petersburg citizens’ concerns connected with the Western High Speed Diameter, visit:  http://sos-yuntolovo.spb.ru/
 E-Mail: t.skrodenis@gmail.com  Website: http://sos-yuntolovo.spb.ru/
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