NOVOSIBIRSK, Russia -- Dozens of would-be homeowners who made down payments a decade ago on apartments that were never completed have started a hunger strike in the Russian city of Novosibirsk.
The thwarted investors, who paid all or part of the cost of their future apartments in 2007, started the hunger strike on July 25. They vowed to continue until local authorities meet their demands.
Protesters went on a four-day hunger strike in June. They stopped their hunger strike after authorities promised to solve the problem, but that has not happened.
Hundreds of people in the same predicament rallied in cities across Russia on July 25, demanding local authorities abide by presidential decrees on protecting the rights of what are called "failed homeowners."
Russian officials said earlier that some 40,000 families spread across 67 regions of Russia have been waiting for years for apartments they have paid for.
