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5 July the United Civic Front activist Larissa Arap (right) was hospitalized against her will on the grounds that she poses threat for herself and her surroundings. This matter brought forth a lot of  attention from the media and human rights organizations all over the world. The Special Commission suggested by Independent Psychiatric Association and created by Vladimir Lukin, the ombudsmen of the Russian Federation, concluded that her hospitalization violated her civic rights. (15-AUG-07)
 

26 July, in spite of public protests, the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, passed a new bill on extremism. Theoretically, it is aimed at strengthening the responsibility for extremism; however, it may undertake a new meaning and be used by the government to silence the mass media and infringe on the freedom of speech, privacy and self expression, which are the most important values in any democratic society. (10-AUG-07)
 

20 July Liudmila Alekseeva (right), the Moscow Helsinki Group Chairman, a symbol of Soviet (then Russian) human rights defenders community, celebrated her 80 anniversary. The foremost Russian opposition politicians and human rights activists, foreign states representatives gathered on the celebration. The Human Rights House Foundation staff also sent its congratulation to Liudmila Alekseeva. (25-JULY-07)
 

12-13 July in Vienna (Austria) Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) held a Supplementary Meeting on Protection and Promotion of Human Rights. Liubov Vinogradova (right), Human Rights House Network Advisory Team member, made an introductory speech on the 2d day of the Meeting. She appealed OSCE to take firm measures on protection of post-Soviet area human rights defenders and to raise effectiveness of recommendations, accepted by OSCE. (17-JULY-07)
 

9 July Valeriy Zorkin (right), the Chairman of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation made an official statement. He offered to “correct” the rules for Russian citizens to go to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. In human rights activists’ opinion, it may essentially disable Russians to lodge their complaints to the foresaid institution. (16-JULY-07)
 

3 July President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin (right) signed an Order about 1.245 billion rubles appropriation for the state support of nongovernmental organizations. Human rights activists welcome the initiative, but state that the effect depends on the composition of the comission, which will decide which organizations will get support (06-JULY-07).
 

On 26 June, human rights activists for the International Day of solidarity with torture victims published a collection “Torture in Russian Federation: Authorities, Human Rights Activists and the UN Committee against Torture Position.” The collection is a result of joint efforts of the coalition of non-governmental organizations that includes the Russian Research Center for Human Rights. (28-JUN-07)
 

On 9-11 June, the end of the autumn-spring season of Discordant Marches was marked by public rallies in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Murmansk and Ekaterinburg. The marches proved to be the calmest in their short history although the authorities imposed certain restrictions in respect to the number of participants and the location. (12-JUN-07) 
 

19-20  May the XII Congress of the “Independent Psychiatric Association of Russia” (IPA) was held in Moscow. Psychiatrists from 27 regions of the Russian Federation, assembled in Moscow to discuss stressing issues in psychiatry, to review the Association work for the last 3 years, to determine priorities for the near future and finally try to find the answer for sacramental question: “What shall we do?” (11-JUNE-07)