Volgograd: family of former concentration camp prisoner alleges violation of rights to comfortable housing (+video)

In Volgograd, the family of Nina Chicherova, a former concentration camp prisoner, states that the ventilation attachment, built under the windows of their apartment, creates undue discomfort. According to Olga Chicherova, Nina's daughter, she was repeatedly subjected to criminal prosecution because of her hampering the construction works.

For 12 years already the Chicherova family from Volgograd has been struggling for comfortable living conditions. On April 8, 2009, judge Stankova of the Tsentralny District Court of Volgograd, recognized the attachment to the shop made by "Benetton Realty Russia" company as an unauthorized construction and ordered the owner to demolish the structure at his own expense. However, on May 29 and August 19, 2009, the same judge Stankova reversed her decision and passed a new ruling in favour of the shop owner.

Despite the court ruling, Olga Chicherova continued hampering the construction of the ventilation attachment under the windows of her apartment. She wrote letters to the supervisory authorities, addressed the country's president and personally prevented builders to carry out their work.

In June 2013, after 11 years of resistance Olga Chicherova was placed into the SIZO (pre-trial prison) and was accused under Part 1, Article 318 (use of violence against a state official), and Article 319 (insulting a state official) of the Russian Criminal Code. She spent 6 months in custody, after which she was sentenced to three years of conditional imprisonment and a fine of 30,000 roubles.

On April 6, 2014, the last court session was held on the criminal case against Olga Chicherova. Her appeal was lodged against the ruling of the court sentenced her to the imprisonment and fine. The court rejected the defendant's appeal.

Dmitry Semenenko, the head of the Department of Industry and Commerce Administration of Volgograd, believes that the family members should address the supreme judiciary instance and with the help thereof to force the owner of the shop to demolish the above ventilation attachment.

He expressed hope that the above instance would rule in favour of the Chicherova family. "On our part we are ready to support them at the judiciary. We insist that the above attachment causes harm to the health and life of the family," Semenenko told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.