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On December, 3rd the International Day of Disabled Persons was celebrated in the Russian Federation. In the Russian Federation there are 12.4 million disabled persons, that is almost 10 percent of the population and their number is steadily increasing. In spite of the fact that in 1992 the Russian Federation signed UN documents concerning rights of disabled persons they still live under miserable conditions. (10-DEC-06)
 

On November, 20th, the Moscow Butyrsky court sentenced newspaper Editor in Chief Boris Stomakhin to five years´ imprisonment for incitement ethnic hatred and making extremist statements. Human rights activists are concerned about sentencing the fearless journalist, who has been criticizing actions of Russian authorities in the Chechen Republic. (02-DEC-06)
 

On November, 17th the State Duma approved in the third reading a scandalous amendment to election law eliminating the minimum voter turnout requirement for elections and it also eliminates early voting. The bill provoked a stormy reaction among opposition movements, mass media and human rights activists, demanding to abolish all antidemocratic amendments introduced into electoral law during last years. (25-NOV-06)
 

On November 9th, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg ruled that the Russian Federation was responsible for the disappearance and presumed death of two Chechens, a father and son, and the killing of a Chechen woman, whose body was found later in a mass grave. The Strasbourg court obliged the Russian Federation to pay an indemnity to relatives of victims.  (13-NOV-06)
 

On November, 4th the People’s Unity Day was celebrated in the Russian Federation. Official holiday’s activities were held all over the country. Besides, ultranationalist parties organized rallies and marches in many cities, while anti-Fascist activists were holding counter actions. Despite the ban on the Russian March, it took place in Moscow. On that day several dozens of people were detained in Moscow, including journalists. (07-NOV-06)
 

On October, 30th the Day in Memory of Victims of Political Repressions celebrated all over the Russian Federation. Nowadays political prisoners are appearing in the Russian Federation again and their number is increasing. There are scientists, businessmen, lawyers, members of oppositional movements and religious dissidents among them. (02-NOV-06)

On October, 29th the Anti-Fascist March against Hatred was held in the center of St Petersburg. More than 600 people, including Russian Federation Ombudsman for Human Rights Vladimir Lukin, took part in the march. Participants approved an appeal to President Putin, accusing anti-Georgian campaign launched by authorities. (02-N0V-06)

Political aggravation of the Russian-Georgian relationship turned into mass violations of   human rights. People, who have nothing to do with politics suffer from ethnic discrimination and humiliating check-ups. Police detains all Georgians regardless of their citizenship, age and social status. (26-OCT-06)
 

Authorities must launch a full investigation into Monday’s violent attacks against a group of peaceful demonstrators who gathered in Nazran, the capital of Ingushetia, to memorialize Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaia, Human Rights Watch said today. The demonstrators — a group of human rights defenders and Politkovskaia supporters — had gathered near the eternal flame in the center of Nazran for a peaceful protest when police and men in plainclothes attacked them. (18-OCT-06)