Perm: A citizen requested from the local administration of the Leninsky district housing information directly touching value of his living apartment and life quality of his neigbors.

The local officials rejected the request, and the district court supported them, stating that the plaintiff (the requestor) did not provide any law norm obliging the local government body to provide information to him.
However, later the Perm Territory Court satisfied the plaintiff’s cassation appeal, stating that a citizen is not obliged to prove his/her rights to information access.

Darya Nazarova, IIFDlawyer: “The definition of the Perm Territory Court confirms citizens’ right to access to any information not access-restricted by a federal law”.

Lately, the Legislative Assembly of the Perm Territory offered a citizen requesting rollcall voting data – to re-write 400 pages by hand. However, he applied to court and the latter considered the regional legislator’s actions unlawful.

These cases once more prove that Russian legislation can provide right to information access rather soundly. The main problem is how to prevent and to contest officials’ attempts to bypass the FOI law actual since January 1, 2010.