The British human rights expert Prof. Bill Bowring was sceduled to monitor the trial of Russian-Chechen Friendship Society (RCFS) leader Stanislav Dimitrievsky in Nizhny Novgorod, but was refused entry to the Russian Federation without any explanation. According to Amnesty International the trial is postponed to the 25th of November. (18-NOV-05).
Upon arrival at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, Professor Bowring was questioned by the FSB for more than four hours during which time his passport was withheld, and finally refused entry despite the fact that all his papers were reportedly in order and he had a valid Russian visa. A representative of the Ombudspersons Office of the Russian Federation, who called authorities at the airport, was told that the Russian Federation has full discretion over whom to admit.
Statement from the Moscow Helsinki Group and the International Helsinki Federation
The Moscow Helsinki Group and the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights commented: “Expert international observers help ensure that trials take place in accordance with the international standards to which the Russian Federation is committed as a member of the Council of Europe and the OSCE. The rights of Russian citizens are not served by keeping them out.”
In June 2005, Professor Bowring had traveled to Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod on behalf of the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC) to write a report on ?The situation concerning the actions of state bodies in relation to the Society for Russian-Chechen Friendship”. Additionally he is the academic coordinator of the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC) in London, an organisation that assists individuals, lawyers and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) within the Russian Federation to take human rights cases to the European Court of Human Rights.
Amnesty is calling for the charges to be dropped
In the 14 November hearing on the de-registration-case against the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society (RCFS), the judge refused the Ministry of Justice in its civil action to liquidate the RCFS.Amnesty International would consider Stanislav Dmitrievskii to be a prisoner of conscience the organisation said in a statement 15th of November. Stanislav Dmitrievskii faces charges under Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code. Amnesty International considers that the two articles written by Akhmed Zakaev and published by Dmitrievskii in the April-May 2004 edition of Pravo-zashchita do not contain any incitement to hatred or enmity.
