The Court proceedings that took place in April, 1999 upheld our regional authorities’ declaration that the popular referendum’s decision [expressing opposition to the siting of the nuclear power plant - Ed.] was invalid.
Then, our NGO "For Life" once again appealed to the Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation concerning the violation of the rights of residents of Kostroma region. Our point was that the previous decision had violated international legal documents on human rights, as well as several articles of the Constitution of Russian Federation. However, the Court proceedings decided against us. The court ruled that these legal documents can not be applied to the Ministry of Nuclear Energy.
This decision violates the civil rights of the residents, who had voted against construction of the Nuclear Power Plant. In this case, the Ministry of Nuclear Energy has its own laws, and governmental bodies protect the Ministry of Nuclear Energy.
Report submitted by Tamara Dobrecova, Co-chairman of NGO "For Life"
Date of Report: November 2001