Unlawful arrests and beatings in Khimki Forest

Dear Sir/Madam,

I would like to update you about the last events in Khimki Forest

Today, activists got the info that large-scale cutting down of trees in the
forest resumed - despite statements of Russian company Avtodor that all the
works are confined to taking away the trees that was fallen this summer.
Activists of Save Khimki Forest Movement arrived at site and found clearing
in process guarded by police and security forces.

The perpetrators of cutting down of trees failed to provide any permissions
for this work. Nevertheless, police threatened to arrest activists in case
they didn't leave the scene.

Of course, they didn't. Police attacked activists, some of them were beaten
and handcuffed. 10 persons were arrested, including Evgenia Chirikova and
Yaroslav Nikitenko.

The arrested persons are now imprisoned in Khimki Police Station (Khimki,
Kudriavtseva str., 4). They are threatened in a very brutal way, even denied
to sit down. Evgenia Chirikova wrote to her twitter that she was undressed
and searched by police, now the contact with her was lost, perhaps her
mobile phone was taken away. Phone numbers of Khimki Police are:

+7 (495) 572-02-02

+7 (495) 573-37-10

+7 (495) 573-34-56

+7 (495) 573-02-02

+7 (498) 691-31-99

Save Khimki Forest Movement asks you to do everything you can to release all
the activists and save the Khimki Forest.

We also demand French company Vinci to leave the dirty project immediately,
see
http://www.change.org/petitions/save-khimki-forest-stand-with-russias-human-rights-and-environmental-activists
for more details

On behalf of Save Khimki Forest Movement

Mikhail Matveev