Court decision on zoning the Sochi National Park cancelled in Adygea

On November 9, the Supreme Court of Adygea cancelled the decision of the Maikop City Court made (on October 22) in favour of ecologist Valery Brinikh against the illegal, in his opinion, zoning of the Sochi National Park. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports about it from the courtroom.

The "Caucasian Knot" reported earlier that the point was in transfer of a part of the National Park's territory, about 10,000 hectares, into the land of another category, where woodcutting and all sorts of construction are allowed. The official pretext for land transfer was for the needs of the Olympiad.

However, on the one hand, by ecologists' estimates, in fact no more than 10 percent of this area will be used for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games; the rest will be delivered to the so-called "quasi-Olympic" businesses. On the other hand, as ecologists argue, the documents on zone changing had been drawn up with rough and numerous violations of the law, which had been challenged in the first instance court.

This circumstance was presented in the courtroom in Valery Brinikh's response statement: "The Court puts me into the position when I have to move evidences, whereas under the law I should not do this. The respondents are obliged to, but everything they state here is groundless."

After the court session, the applicant told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that he would appeal against the decision of the cassation instance.