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The Human Rights Network Group and its website Human Rights Online has initiated a public action for the Chechen Republic and a commemoration of the victims of the war there. The war, now in its tenth year, is still ongoing. (12-DEC-03)
 

The Dec 7 Russian parliamentary elections dramatically demonstrated the failure of the smaller, non-centrist and opposition parties to make an impression on its country´s politics. According to a preliminary report, the leading ´Edinstvo´ party, advertising itself as ´acting together with the President´ took 36,8% of the votes. Only three other parties (no Rights-wings among them) surpassed the 5% level required to enter the new parliament. The analysts say the Duma is likely to be not just pro-presidential, but purely ´presidential´. (08-DEC-03)
 

The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has adopted the concluding remarks of the 4th periodic report of the Russian Federation on the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). Having welcomed dialogue between NGOs and the official delegation, the Committee identified 27 ´negative´ and only 5 ´positive´ areas in the field of social and economic rights in the Russian Federation. (06-DEC-03)
 

The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has recognized the poor living conditions in the Chechen Republic as its biggest concern in all of the Russian Federation. In its concluding remarks on Russia´s 4th periodic report on the implementation of the Committee´s International Covenant, the Russian State is urged to allocate sufficient funds to reinstate basic services, including health and educational infrastructure, in the Chechen Republic. (06-DEC-03)
 

Russian NGOs do not agree with the president Putin´s decision to stop the “hysteria about YUKOS”, the oil giant. Its former leader Mikhail Khodorkovsky is still in prison and accused in several crimes. Human rights activists deeply concerned with the Russian state power turning back to repressive methods of ruling the country. Some even call Khodorkovsky´s arrest the “start of the fight with civil society” in the Russian Federation. (03-DEC-03)
 

On November 3rd, 2003, Judge Petr Shtunder of the Moscow City Court began hearings on the case of Igor Sutyagin, who is accused by the Russian Security Service, FSB, of treason. During the first day the court selected the jury. On November 4th the judge gave floor to the prosecutors, who started presenting their case. Almost immediately the judge had to declare a break and adjourn the hearings until November 5th. (10-NOV-03)
 

On September 29th, Judge Petr Shtunder of the Moscow City Court granted Igor Sutyagin’s motion for a jury trial. The jury selection will begin on November 3, 2003. This is the first time a treason case in the Russian Federation will be considered by a jury. Igor Sutyagin, a researcher from the U.S. and Canada Institute, accused by the Russian Security Service, FSB, of treason. Sutyagin denies any wrongdoing. (03-OCT-03)

The human rights violations in the Chechen Republic were the most urgent problems facing human rights movement in the Russian Federation in 2002. This document presents these and other human rights challenges in the Russian Federation, as well as a summary of activities in the Russian Research Center for Human Rights.  (26-FEB-03)  

Police torture suspects and disregard a rising tide of nationalist violence, while abuse of Chechen civilians rages unchecked – and Western governments are partly to blame for ignoring the problems, The Moscow Helsinki group said July 9. (30-JULY-02)