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In Moscow Region, investigators act to protect rights of citizens forced to substandard housing in Balashikha

At a reception by the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia in June 2019, women from Balashikha told about almost a thousand people living in an apartment building launched in 1946 that had been recognized as substandard by the Regional Administration. It was intended to relocate the residents to another apartment building, which proved to be impossible at the time because of a lack of the original investment contract between Mosoblkapstroy OJSC and the Balashikha Administration. The women complained that living in the old building had a negative impact on residents’ health and that they feared the building would collapse.

Upon instruction of the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia, the Moscow Regional Main Investigations Directorate immediately launched an investigation into negligence of the Balashikha Administration officials (Part 1 of Article 293 of the Criminal Code of Russia).

However, the regional prosecution authorities canceled the decision to initiate the criminal case. This was appealed up to the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, but the latter denied the investigator’s complaint.

Nevertheless, the Moscow Regional Main Investigations Directorate arranged an additional probe in order to establish all circumstances of the violation of the rights of the citizens who had told about their situation at the reception by the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia. At the moment, it was established that, on September 30, 2005, the Administration represented by the Governor of Balashikha District had provided a site of 0.6155 ha and 45 million rubles cadastral value for the construction of six houses subject to the contract with Mosoblkapstroy OJSC. From 2005 to March 2012, Mosoblkapstroy OJSC had developed and approved a project and then built and launched the apartment building on the said site. However, to date, 12% of the residential area of the said building has not been transferred by the developer for the resettlement of the tenants of the substandard housing stock, including the applicants. The developer did not proceed to further construction of five more residential houses under the contract, actually selling the apartments in the built house on the real estate market.

Upon the results of the probe, the investigation is to assess the actions of the Director-General of Mosoblkapstroy OJSC, the former Governor of Balashikha District, and other unidentified persons under Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of Russia.