In Zabaykalsky Krai, local authorities refused to approve a picket by residents of an unsafe apartment building.

In Borzya, a town in the Zabaykalsky region in eastern Siberia, authorities refused to approve a picket by residents of a dilapidated nine-storey apartment building. Chita.Ru reported this, citing the district administration.

The residents planned to protest and demand relocation. However, officials said the notification to hold the protest had been submitted in violation of laws on public demonstrations.

The building was declared unsafe after an inspection: experts found serious structural defects caused by design flaws and subsequent alterations. Residents have been seeking relocation for many years. The date of the picket has been rescheduled several times, but a decision on resettlement is still pending.

According to the administration’s estimates, relocating all 158 people would require about one billion roubles (approximately US$11 million).