28 May 2008 International human rights organization Amnesty International released its annual report on the state of the protection of human rights in the world. This time, the USA received the sharpest criticism. However, the Russian Federation was among the number of the countries where the quantity of attacks because of racism and prosecutions “for political dissent” noticeably increased. Amnesty International addressed president Dmitry Medvedev with a request to take measures for the guarantee of the observance of human rights and freedom in the Russian Federation. (30-MAY-08)
Written by Maria Paramonova/HRH Moscow
Links: http://echo.msk.ru/news/517298-echo.html; http://www.hro1.org/node/2339;
Sources: The text “Memorandum of Human Rights for President Mr. Medvedev”: http://www.amnesty.org.ru/pages/memorandum-medvedev-2008-rus;
The report-2008: http://thereport.amnesty.org/rus/report-08-at-a-glance
Photo: www.hro.org; Center “Demos”
Today, representing their annual report on the observance of Human Rights in the world, Human Rights defenders have also released a memorandum, directed to the head of state, and have promised to do everything they can to make sure this topic will be raised in June at the the Russian Federation – European Union Summit.
Amnesty International called Mr. Medvedev to observe the Constitution of the Russian Federation
The requirements and appeals of the human rights organization Amnesty International are simple: to observe the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In other words, to make sure that what Mr. Medvedev said at his inauguration on the primacy of human rights and freedom were not simply words. Mr. Medvedev was asked to keep this promise. The areas and spheres of human rights that have been violated in the Russian Federation were scrupulously listed in the Memorandum. A number of measures were offered to the president, all of which require adoption to improve the legal climate in the country.
In this report Amnesty International included research on 150 countries of the world. According to Amnesty International people are still exposed to torture and cruel treatment in 81 of these countries, unfair proceedings are conducted in 54 states, and citizens are not allowed freedom of expression in at least 77 countries. the Russian Federation was also on these lists.
Violation of right to freedom of assambly
The human rights defenders of Amnesty International turned special attention to the fact that during the months preceding elections for the State Duma authorities began to limit more rigidly public displays of dissent. Many people including journalists and observers underwent short-term detention on the eve, during and after demonstrations, thus many of them were found guilty of administrative infringements at the end of court proceedings that did not always uphold international standards of a fair trial. As Friderike Ber (photo), the Amnesty International researcher of the Russian Federation noted, it has become a habit for the authorities to disperse peaceful demonstrations with force.
The new law on NGOs
NGO activities have become more difficult due to burdensome reporting requirements amended into the new law on NGOs.
Kidnapping journalists and human rights defenders by the members of power structures
Human rights defenders and civil society activists were exposed to persecutions and received threats. So, on November 24th armed people in masks kidnapped from a hotel in Ingushetia the director of the human rights society “Memorial” Oleg Orlov (photo) and three journalists from the Russian TV-channel “REN-TV” who intended to participate, as observers, in a demonstration of protest against gross infringements of the law by employees of the law enforcement bodies of Ingushetia. According to the victims, thieves the kidnappers beat them, threatened to shoot them, and then threw them in a field.
Independence of judicial system
The judicial system was subject to pressure from executive authority. Thus corruption “constantly undermines the rule of law and people’s trust in the legal system”. So, those people who have had their rights infringed are more likely to be afraid of submitting an official complaint. The European Court of human rights passed15 cases recognizing the Russian Federation guilty of forced disappearances, torture and extrajudicial executions during the second conflict in the Chechen Republic.
Xenophobia
In addition, according to the human rights defenders, the growth of violence on racial grounds has grown in recent years. No less than 61 persons have been killed as a result of such attacks in the country. In spite of the fact that the authorities have recognized the existence of this problem the number of trials over crimes on racial grounds has increased. It appears these measures have not been sufficient enough to stop the wave of violence.
Call for abolition of capital punishement
International human rights defenders have presented all the above enumerated observations in a 20-page “Memorandum of Human Rights”, prepared especially for president Dmitry Medvedev. Amnesty International has also asked that the death penalty finally be annulled. Nikola Dakvort, director of regional programmes for Amnesty International across Europe and Asia publicly promised that Amnesty International will do its utmost to notify European authorities on problems in the Russian Federation.
