15 January 2009, 23:00
Rostov Region: miners-pensioners start hunger strike
Today at 4:00 p.m., in the city of Zverevo, Rostov Region, a hunger strike was announced by miners-pensioners who demand that court decision be enforced, free-of-charge coal provided to them, as well as discounts in payments for heating.
Valery Dyakonov, deputy of Zverevo city duma, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that 5 men are now on hunger strike, and 5 women are ready to join them. The hunger-strikers are in one of private apartments.
According to the deputy, the initiator of the hunger strike - the Board of Pensioners-Miners - sent a notification about the hunger strike to the Mayoralty and Prosecutor's Office of Zverevo. Today, the members of the Board of Pensioners-Miners had a meeting with Vladimir Vlasov, Public Prosecutor of Zverevo.
Mr Vlasov has stated that miners-pensioners should solve their problems not by means of hunger strike but in a "civilized way". In Valery Dyakonov's opinion, "the authorities try to prevent the hunger strike by stating that protesters are breaching the law, but wouldn't concretize which one."
