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Khimki Forest Activist Detained Near Moscow


Felled trees at the future site of the Moscow-St. Petersburg highway passing through Khimki Forest.
Felled trees at the future site of the Moscow-St. Petersburg highway passing through Khimki Forest.
KHIMKI, Russia -- An active member of the Save Khimki Forest movement has been arrested near Moscow, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports.

Environmental activist Yaroslav Nikitenko told RFE/RL that Alla Chernysheva was arrested in the town of Khimki for her alleged involvement in "telephone terrorism."

On February 1, local environmental activists were protesting construction on the banks of the Moscow River in Khimki and called on police to check the construction company's documents granting it permission to work at the site.

Police arrived at the construction site, but instead of checking the company's documents they dispersed the activists, saying that officials had information about a bomb hidden near the construction site and had to evacuate it. No bomb was found.

Chernysheva is a suspect in giving false information about the explosive device and has been charged with "telephone terrorism."

Nikitenko and his colleagues say the charges against Chernysheva are politically motivated and her arrest is due to her public activities against the construction of a portion of the Moscow-St. Petersburg highway through the Khimki Forest.

Read more in Russian here
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