DUSHANBE, February 26, 2011, Asia-Plus — Residents of the Pervomayskiy settlement in the Qushteppa jamoat (community), Roudaki district intend to appeal in the Supreme and Constitutional courts against the decision of the Roudaki authorities to demolish their houses.
Qushteppa resident Tukhtakhon Sadullobekova told Asia-Plus that officials from President’s Executive Office received the settlement representatives on February 24. “They said that local authorities do not have the right to demolish our houses without an appropriate decision of court,” said Sadullobekova, “The officials noted that local authorities’ leaflets notifying that we must leave the settlement until March 5 are just “useless papers” because there are no seal and signature on them.”
According to her, representatives from president’s office advised them to appeal in the Supreme and Constitutional courts that must prevent these unlawful actions.
“They said local authorities have the right to demolish our houses only after an appropriate judicial decision,” said Sadullobekova, “The president’s office representatives also noted that copies of our application to the president with solicitation to prevent demolition of our houses have been sent to the Prosecutor-General’s Office, Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption as well as the Roudaki district administration ad they must take all necessary measures.”
We will recall that some 30 women and children from the May First settlement gathered near the building of President’s Executive Office in the morning of February 21. They tried to draw the leadership of the government’s attention to demolition of their houses by the Roudaki local authorities. The women told Asia-Plus that on February 18 local officials cut the electricity and water to their houses without prior warning and police officers in masks cordoned them. They said some 50 newly built houses were destroyed, and officials warned they will also demolish older homes in the area because they were built illegally.
