Civil society letter urging EC president Barroso to halt EU financing for Russian toll roads

A coalition of major Russian NGOs is urging President Barrosso to make sure that EU financing institutions halt their participation in toll motorway projects in Russia until there are serious improvements in the human rights and public participation situation associated with these projects.

The call to Mr. Barrosso comes one day after Russian authorities have renewed their intimidation attempts at activists trying to stop the section of Moscow-St. Petersburg highway planned to pass through the Khimki forest in the suburbs of Moscow.