Residents of Volny aul complain to KBR's head about threats

Local authorities intimidate the residents of the aul (village) of Volny, who claim land plots and threaten them, trying to compromise the leaders of the public organization "Volny Aul", 256 signatories to the appeal addressed to the head of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic have stated.

Residents will be able to obtain land plots only through the auction procedure with the starting price of a land plot of 160,000 roubles, Arsen Alakaev, Mayor of Nalchik, announced on November 8. The "Volny Aul" demands to provide land plots to villagers for free.

Those who got on the waiting list on getting land plots are intimidated, and the members of the "Volny Aul" are defamed in anonymous leaflets, villagers assert.

The "Volny Aul" was established at the request of villagers, who for many years tried to get into the waiting list at the administration of Nalchik. Those on the list distrust the authorities and insist that the public organization should continue its efforts towards getting land plots.

According to Adam Medaviev, an expert on land issues of the KBR's Human Rights Centre, those who can claim free land plots are large families, families with disabled children, families of adults with disabilities, young families, as well as specialists – doctors, teachers and others.

Citizens have the right to demand land plots from the authorities to build their housing, Sergey Makoveev, a member of the Moscow Regional Bar Association, has confirmed.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.