Vinci 1, cours Ferdinand de Lesseps F-92851 Rueil-Malmaison Cedex France
Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to express my extreme disappointment with Vinci for its involvement in destroying Russia's Khimki Forest.
We are asking Vinci to live up to its UN Global Compact commitments. By joining the Compact Vinci's has committed to "support and respect internationally proclaimed human rights" and to make sure it is not "complicit in human rights abuses." One glance at the list of human rights abuses against Khimki Forest activists, and it is clear that Vinci is violating its compact with its involvement in the project.
Ecological nihilism and human rights abuses, including beatings, attacts on the forest defenders by people wearing Nazi symbolics, who were officially hired by the construction company, unlawful arrests and intimidation, have occurred against activists who are protesting the plans.
As the only Western company involved in the highway building, I ask that you pull out of the project or refuse to begin construction until the Russian government chooses an alternative route that spares the Khimki Forest and addresses the human rights abuses that have occurred.
Peaceful activists trying to protect forests in Russian get beaten up by thugs and police forces. Khimki Forest Park is unique eco-system in the area of Moscow with centuries-old oak forests, elks, boars and many species of birds. The planned Moscow-St. Petersburg motorway. This is scheduled to divide the Khimki Forest Park in half in the section from the Moscow ring road to Sheremetevo airport. The project is planned as the first large-scale public-private partnership with the involvement of western investors _éç the EBRD and European Investment Bank. The intermediary link will be the North-West Investment Company, backed by the French firms Vinci and Eurovia. The project is managed by company, Avtodor, which combines the functions of a government agency and a business. Riot police and private security forces detained and beat up the peaceful activists trying to protect the forest. 