16:36, 21 October 2014

Resident of Volgograd Region found guilty of setting rigs on fire in Khopyor area

A rally against the development of nickel deposits in Chernozem Region. Voronezh Region, June 2014. Photo: movement in support of Khopyor area http://savekhoper.ru/

Mikhail Boyarischev, a resident of the Volgograd Region, accused of setting fire to drilling rigs in the area of the Khopyor River, was sentenced to 2.5 years in a colony-settlement, the Prosecutor's Office of the Voronezh Region reports.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the suffered party in the case is the Limited Liability Company (LLC) "Uralmedsoyuz", whose representative claims a compensation of damage in the amount of 36 million roubles. The trial began back on April 2.

On June 22, 2013, a rally was held in the Novokhopersk District of the Voronezh Region against the development of nickel deposits, which was attended, apart from local residents, representatives of Cossack and nationalist organizations of the Volgograd Region. After the rally, the nickel extraction rigs of the Urals Mining and Metallurgical Company (UMMC) were set on fire; and then works in the field were suspended. On suspicion of committing the arson 25 people were detained, including Mikhail Boyarischev.

The verdict may be appealed against within 10 days; besides, the owner of the drilling rigs may go to court for compensation of the inflicted damage, says the website of the Voronezh Regional Prosecutor's Office.