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On 21 December 2005 the Russian State Duma by an overwhelming majority has passed the second reading of the project of the federal law # 233364-4 “About the alteration of some legislative acts of the Russian Federation”. The deputies included more then sixteen amendments into the first variant of the project. As expected, the deputies allowed all of Vladimir Putin’s recommendations. (Read more) (24-DEC-2005)
 

On 23 November the Russian State Duma, in spite of the numerous international protests, passed, in the first reading, the project of the federal law # 233364-4 “About the alteration of some legislative acts of the Russian Federation” which is directed at establishing control over NGOs and ending of existence of independent civil society in the Russian Federation. Vladimir Putin had a meeting with the chairwoman of the Council of the Assistance of the Development of the Institutes of the Civil Society and Human Rights under the President of the Russian Federation, Ella Pamfilova, who supported the NGOs and advocated scrapping the Bill. (20-DEC-2005)
 

On December 12 2005 the Second All-Russian Civil Congress took place in Moscow. Advancing the slogan “Russia for democracy, Against Dictatorship” it has brought together leaders of liberal opposition parties and more than 700 representatives of civil and human rights organizations from all over the country. Several questions were discussed during the Congress: resistance to the destruction of civil society in the Russian Federation, elections in 2007-2008 and the creation of a united party of democrats, the threat of nationalism and fascism and the creation of a civil (independent) television network. (20-DEC-2005)

Nizhni Novgorod: Two Russian police officers have been convicted of crimes relating to the torture of Aleksei Mikheev in detention in September 1998.The court sentenced the two police officers to four years´ imprisonment. Amnesty International welcomes the conviction and calls for full redress for Aleksei Mikheev. Photo: Amnesty International (30-NOV-05)
 
 

On 12 November an All-Russian protest took place to promote the repealing of the draft and against the repealing of deferrals. The protest was organized by the Union of the Soldiers Mothers Committees of the Russian Federation and the Republican Party and supported by the liberal parties SPS (Union of Right Forces) and “Yabloko”, students, and several human rights organizations including the representatives of the Russian Research Center for Human Rights. (30-NOV-2005)
 

Oslo: – The parliamentary elections in the Chechen Republic on November 27 will not be democratic, because people are too scared, Aage Borchgrevink, advisor  in the Norwegian Helsinki Committee says. In a new report written together with International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the Center “Demos” and the Human Rights Center ´Memorial´, the organisations analyse the political process in the Chechen Republic, described as a cynical and dangerous game, which has contributed to the establishment of a climate of fear. (25-NOV-05). Photo: NHC
 
 

The Day of Political Prisoners is not a free holiday. But several thousand people gathered on 30 October to remember the millions of people who had suffered from the “Red Terror” for their thoughts and views during the soviet period. In Yekaterinburg, Nakhodka, Penza Rostov, Ryazan, Syktyvkar and Moscow people lit a candle and, in memory of the victims, stood for a minute of silence. (20-NOV-2005)

The Russian Research Center for Human Rights is continuing to develop its program of Public Control for Human Rights observance in Closed Establishments of the Russian Federation. A peculiarity in the new stage of this program is the broad cooperation with representatives of the government and experts from international organizations. (11-NOV-05)

The nationalist organization “Movement against Illegal Immigration” led a “right march” in Moscow. This demonstration was allowed in spite of the appeal of Russian NGOs to the mayor of Moscow Mr. Luzhkov which had been initiated by Svetlana Gannushkina, the chairwoman of the committee “Civil Assistance”. (read more)  (09-NOV-05)