One of the few remaining countries that claims the nuclear renaissance is real is Russia.The renaissance is not so real at home, where the number of planned nuclear power stations always looks impressive, but actual construction slows down. So, Russia looks to the outside world to push new reactors.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev travelled to Belarus to sign a general contract for the construction and operation of the Astravetz nuclear power plant. Several journalists and environmentalists who are critical of the plan wanted to give him a petition, asking him to withhold his signature. Did he meet them with a smile? Small chance.
Even before they were on their way to the Russian Embassy in Minsk to deliver the petition, Russian nuclear physicist and journalist Andrey Ozharovsky and his Belarussian colleague and organiser of the petition Tatjana Novikova were arrested. Both were convicted that same day, Ozharovsky was given 10 days in jail and Novikova five days. They were accused of “hooliganism.”
The only witnesses called were the police people who arrested them. They said Ozharovsky and Novikova had screamed foul language that was audible further than 50 meters away.
Continue reading at Nuclear activists jailed in Belarus for protesting deal with Russia
