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On 10 April the Basmanny Municipal Court of Moscow rejected the claim of the Federal Registry Service of the Ministry of Justice, which wanted the Russian Research Center for Human Rights to be liquidated as a legal entity. Is this a definitive victory, or is the Federal Registry Service preparing a new blow against human rights activists? Will the new NGO law become a grave digger for all civil initiatives in Russia? (13-APR-06)

The 30 March the Government approved the abolition of 9 out of 25 present draft deferments. The Ministry of Defense promises to shorten the term of military service to 12 months from 2008.  The 1 April mass protest actions against cutting draft deferments were held all over the country. Demonstrators demanded a building up of the professional army and resignation of Minister of Defense, Sergey Ivanov. Human rights activists call on to distrust the Ministry of Defense and the Minister himself. (05-APR-06)
 

The informational Internet-portal “Human Rights in Russia”, hro.org, became a winner of the III International Festival of the non-commercial Internet-projects in the nomination “Human rights activist”. We sincerely congratulate activists of HRO.org on their success! (02-APR-06)

Russian authorities support the President of Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and don’t express any protest against mass arrests of peaceful demonstrators in Minsk, including Russian citizens.  In Moscow police has broken up participants of the protest actions against violation of human rights in the Republic of Belarus. The Russian human rights community has expressed solidarity with actions of the Belarussian opposition and has demanded to release all the detained.  (02-APR-06)

6-7 March there was a 2-days seminar “Security of information on the activities of human rights organizations” in Kazan’, organized on the initiative of the Interregional group “Human Rights Network” belonging to the Russian Research Center for Human Rights. Today the problem of personal data  security in the human rights community is extremely important in connection with the preparation of a new bill “On information, informational technologies and protection of information” and because of  increasing number of hackers attacks and attempts of authorities to control human rights web-sites. (25-MAR-06)
 

From the 22 February to the 2 of April an exhibition “Political ‘Justice’ and Political Prisoners in Contemporary Russia” takes place in the museum and Public Center of Andrey Sakharov.  The personages of the exhibition are people, who have fallen a prey to the politically motivated state despotism. The organizers of the exhibition believe that the existence of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in the country is a menacing sign of present civil disaster. (20-MAR-06)
 

The 6 March a bill against sexual discrimination was discussed in Duma.By tradition there is a tolerant attitude toward violation of equality of men’s and women’s rights in the Russian Federation. It’s one of the reasons of unequal representation of women in the ruling clique and in the highest ranks, of violation of women’s labour rights and spreading of sexual violence. Contrary to the Constitution, state and private undertakings  practice discrimination against women. (09-MAR-06)
 

27-28 February the meeting of Human Rights Houses contact persons took place in Moscow. Participants discussed main principles of development of the web-site, which presents a reflection of current work, strengthening relations and most important problems in the sphere of international human rights movement. (04-MAR-06)

The government has celebrated Defenders of the Fatherland Day, 23 February, with ceremonial actions and opposition parties and human rights organizations have held protest actions and have carried out requiem for the deceased in Russian army during military service. According to Levada-Center sociologists, 53% of Russian people would try to evade military service by any possible means if they were called up now. (25-FEB-06)