http://khimkibattle.org/?p=914&lang=en
A group of well-known Russian public figures and human rights activists have addressed an open letter to the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev. They call on him to secure the release of the Khimki hostages, Alexei Gaskarov and Maxim Solopov, and to investigate the numerous violations of Russian laws and human rights committed by local authorities and law enforcement agencies against antifascists, social activists, and journalists during their investigation. The letter describes the catastrophic lawlessness and deliberate violence that have surrounded the project for the planned toll highway through the Khimki Forest. The public figures and human rights activists call on the president to “protect two socially conscious and publicly active young people from reprisal and to stop the terror against journalists and social activists.”
Published on the web site of the movement For Human Rights, the open letter has been signed by more than fifty prominent Russians, including Ludmila Alexeeva (chair of the Moscow Helsinki Group), Lev Ponomaryov (For Human Rights), Boris Strugatsky (writer), Oleg Orlov (chair of the Memorial Human Rights Centre), Yuri Samodurov (curator), and Svetlana Gannushkina (Civic Assistance Committee).
New signatures are being collected. The entire text of the letter, including the list of signatories, is available in Russian.
Our campaign is ongoing. To find out more about the case and what you can do to help Alexei and Maxim, see The Khimki Hostages Need Your Solidarity!
