The company organizing the cutting down of the Khimki Forest PO Teplotekhnik submitted claims for 9,000,000 rubles to Savelovsky court in Moscow. The suit was filed against Khimki forest defenders and journalists. The company accused them of preventing the competion of the felling of Khimki forest, which meant a partial loss of profit for Teplotekhnik. Despite the legal claim's inconsistency, judge Mrs. Yurova accepted the claim for examination.
Representatives of Teplotekhnik used this claim as a way of putting pressure upon activists, declaring readiness to withdraw the suit in exchange for a promise not to interfere with further cutting. Meanwhile, an audit of the Moscow city court revealed a set of infringements in the activity of Savelovsky court and, in particular, of judge Yurova. It has been widely suggested in the media that the infringements may have included 'sponsored' sentences.
The court hearings revealed some shocking details. It was found out that PO Teplotekhnik had an annex to the contract with its state customer (Federal State Office “Roads of Russia” – FGU Dorogi Rossii) which effectively put it outside of the law. For example, Teplotekhnik was obliged to proceed with the works ignoring not only civil protests of any kind, but also lawful (sic!) orders of governmental bodies if those orders were aimed at stopping the clearing of the forest.
Finally, the lawsuit was withdrawn by Teplotekhnik itself – perhaps due to its obvious deficiencies.
