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A year without Anna Politkovskaya
7 October, 2007 people in the Russian Federation and other countries reversed Anna Politkovskaya`s memory. Anna was a very famous Russian journalist and human rights defender, who opposed war in the Chechen Republic and criticized Putin`s regime. She was shot dead a year ago. In Anna`s commemoration there were held a number of events all over the world. (15-OCT-07)
The Russian-Chechen Friendship Society is excluded from OSCE meeting
13 September 2007 in Vienna the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society was excluded from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) – Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights – meeting. The USA delegation left the session in protest. The human rights society is outraged by this fact, because, first of all, it violates the right to express their opinion avowedly. (24-SEP-07)
The right to live without violence
In early September an action “White Ribbon”, directed on a straight fight with domestic violence, got started in Vologda region. The organizers strongly believe that if we can’t resist the home violence, we can at least reduce it. The most important thing is not to keep silent! For the victims were opened help lines, where both women and men can get a qualified help. (15-SEPT-07)
Authorities use new restrictive practices against NGO and media
29-30 August the Foundation to Support Tolerance and the Novaya Gazeta office in Nizhny Novgorod were taken under illegal check by local lawmen. As a result, they seized computers from the mentioned organizations on the pretext of using unlicensed software. The human rights defenders strongly protest against these actions and think that authorities are trying to use any method to paralyze the work of non-governmental organizations and media.
Criticised abuse of psychiatry as punishment, was hospitalised herself
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)
Putin passes new controversial law on extremism
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)
Grand dame of independent human rights movement is celebrated at 80
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)
Leader of HRH Moscow speaks at OSCE summit in Vienna
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)
Russians’ ‘rules’ to go to court in Strasbourg ‘corrected’
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)