All human rights defenders believe that considerable pressure has been put on Ella Pamfilova as head of the Council for Civil Society and Human Rights. Former State Duma deputy, human rights defender Valery Borshchev (the head of Social Partnership Foundation, RRCHR) believes that Ella Pamfilova’s resignation is a sign that, within the government, those forces that do not need civil society are winning:

– She has very limited opportunities. We understand that perfectly. She has many opponents, especially among those of high rank. But she has not given in, and she has remained honest and courageous. She has supported human rights defenders even when it seemed to be a very difficult thing to do. And she has come under constant attacks. And I would suggest that these attacks are initiated at a high level…It is a symptom: if a person like Ella Pamfilova resigns, then this means that the other forces are winning.

The head of the Moscow Helsinki Group Ludmila Alekseeva (left) said that ‘some time ago Ella Pamfilova spoke about her intention to resign’. Alexeeva confirms that ‘she has suffered a great deal from the attacks against her that have been going on all the time. Especially from the crude attacks by the pro-Kremlin youth movements’.

 

Liubov Vinogradova, the Executive Director of Independent Psychiatric Association of the Russian Federation (RRCHR) (right) says ‘it is a shock for human rights defenders. We can not protest since the resignation is freewill, but at the same time, we understand that it is forced. She left because she could not work as she saw right. Along with critics of the latest report of Federal Ombudsman of the Russian Federation and rude attacks of pro-Kremlin youth movement ‘Nashi’ towards Lumila Aleeva and other human rights defenders, it demonstrates indifferent attitude of the authorities to the problems of human rights protection in the Russian Federation and reduction of opportunities for NGOs’ work’.

 

 Human rights defenders hope that Dmitry Medvedev will not accept Ella Pamfilova’s resignation and will reason with those who stand behind the sickening campaigns against her.
They agree that she is indispensable in this post. She has headed the Presidential Council for many years and perfectly fulfils all the very difficult responsibilities it involves.