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The investigation of the Beslan terrorist act is still not finished. It opened new facts which leave in doubt official facts and discredits the actions of the government. Eye witness evidence shows that there were more terrorists in the school then the Prosecutor’s facts say. Knowing this: who is responsible for arresting the rest of the terrorists, and are the proper authorities looking for them? There are a lot of questions about the Russian military using a flame-thrower. (06-SEP-05)
 

The adoption of this law completes the creation of the new Russian electoral legislation system that, according to human rights and politician activists, represents a rolling-back of democracy. (12-AUG-05)
 

On the 31st of July a meeting between Russian human rights activists and Mr. Alvaro Gil-Robles, the commissioner for human rights of the Council of Europe, took place. They discussed Gil-Robles’ report about human rights in the Russian Federation. (11-AUG-05)
 
 

Five European Court judges of Human Rights rejected a request of the Russian Government to refer three judgments to the Grand Chamber of the Court. On 25 February 2005 the European Court published its first judgment arising from the conflict in the Chechen Republic. The European Court found that the Russian Federation violated the applicants’ right to life and their right to an effective domestic remedy. (16-JULY-05)
 

Los Angeles hosted the Reebok Human Rights Award 2005 ceremony where awards were given out to four human rights activists, including Zarema Mukusheva (picture) from the Russian Federation. The Reebok Human Rights Foundation recognizes young activists who have made significant contributions to human rights causes through nonviolent means. Honoraries, who are 30 years of age or younger, receive a $50,000 grant from the Reebok Human Rights Foundation to further their work. (16-JULY-05)
 

On the night of June 27th several hundred prisoners from Lgov’s prison camp # 3 in the Kursk Region cut their arms and abdominals in protest against the arbitrariness of the prison administration. The day before, four prisoners were beaten by prison guards. The prisoners said that cutting themselves was the only way to bring attention to the abusive behaviour of the prison guards. (8-JULY-05)
 

On the 3rd of June 2005, at around 15:00, military personnel from OMON led an unauthorized operation to detain suspects who helped militants in the Chechen Region of stanitsa Borozdinovskaya. They blew up the houses of local inhabitants, made the men sit in cars and took them to the local school. The Soldiers made people lay face down on the ground and pulled their shirts over their heads. Military personnel beat everybody, even teenagers, elderly people and handicapped, on their feet and with the butt of their guns. Soldiers kept people in the rain till late evening. At 21:00 Military personnel took eleven people, who have still not been found. (30-JUNE-05)
 

The Ministry of Justice slowed down the activity of the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society and its partner organization Nizhniy Novgorod Human Rights Society. Russian NGOs are always being watched by Russian authorities, in particular those who criticize the government. Russian authorities try to find any reason to close those organizations that have their own opinion, because they see them as a threat. (27-JUNE-05)
 

The number of homeless children and orphans in the Russian Federation reached 700 thousand by the end of 2002 (according to Russian Children’s Fund). This number is comparable to the number of orphans following the Second World War. (11-JUNE-05)