Russia
30.08.00
Urgent Interventions
Russia: attack on NGO
URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY
RUS 001 / 0008 / OBS 091
Attack on NGO
Russia
30th August 2000.
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a programme of FIDH and OMCT, requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Russia.
Brief description:
The Observatory was informed by the Center for Civil Society International of an attack by masked commandos, with automatic rifles, on the offices of the Glasnost Foundation, located in a residential building on Tsvetnoi Bulvar in central Moscow, at 7pm on Monday 28th August 2000. There were a dozen people in the office discussing plans for an emergency congress of human rights activists.
According to information received, Sergei Grigoryants, head of the Glasnost Foundation, stated that about 10 commandos and a police lieutenant, who identified himself as Ivanov from the 18th precinct, came to the offices and knocked on the door. Grigoryants said that he refused to open the door in the absence of a warrant and returned to the meeting. The police then proceeded to attempt to break down the front door. When they failed they went round the back and broke through the wooden door. They forced everyone in the office on the floor, including a 10 year old girl, for 40 minutes before leaving without saying anything. Grigoryants stated that one of the masked men kicked him in the head and back. The police did not check any documents and did not offer any explanation as to why they came. Ernst Chyorny, a leader of the organization Ecology and Human Rights who was present during the raid, said that after police left he found his bag, which he had left in another room, had been searched.
An officer from the 18th precinct, who gave his name as Alexander Nikolayevich, stated that he was in charge of all patrol officers at the 18th precinct and knew nothing of the operation at the Glasnost Foundation.
The Glasnost Foundation is a harsh critic of the war in Chechnya and the Federal Security Service, or FSB. The organization conducts an annual conference titled "The KGB: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow." In light of this and the timing and nature of the operation, the Observatory considers this attack as a direct attempt to intimidate human rights defenders and prevent them from carrying out their work.
Furthermore, this constitutes a grave violation of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 9th December 1998, and in particular of its Article 1 which mandates that « everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels ».
Action requested :
Please write to the authorities urging them to:
i. put an end to any kind of harassment against human rights NGOs and all defenders of democracy in the country, and ensure that they be allowed to carry out their work without obstacles;
ii. abide by the provisions of the Declaration on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders adopted on the 9th of December 1998, by the U.N. General Assembly (“Declaration on the right and responsibility of individuals, groups and organs of society to promote and protect universally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms”), particularly, Article 1 (see above) and Article 6.c which mandates that « everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law and in practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to those matters ».
iii. more generally abide by the Universal declaration on Human Rights and Covenants and international Conventions ratified by the Russian Federation.
Addresses
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, President, The Kremlin, Moscow, Russia, e-mail president@gov.ru
Geneva - Paris, 30th August 2000
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken, quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a joint FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
To contact the Observatory, call the Emergency Line: Fax : 33 (0) 1 55 80 83 92
Tel. : FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT : + 41 22 809 49 39
E-mail observatoire@iprolink.ch
RUS 001 / 0008 / OBS 091
Attack on NGO
Russia
30th August 2000.
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a programme of FIDH and OMCT, requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Russia.
Brief description:
The Observatory was informed by the Center for Civil Society International of an attack by masked commandos, with automatic rifles, on the offices of the Glasnost Foundation, located in a residential building on Tsvetnoi Bulvar in central Moscow, at 7pm on Monday 28th August 2000. There were a dozen people in the office discussing plans for an emergency congress of human rights activists.
According to information received, Sergei Grigoryants, head of the Glasnost Foundation, stated that about 10 commandos and a police lieutenant, who identified himself as Ivanov from the 18th precinct, came to the offices and knocked on the door. Grigoryants said that he refused to open the door in the absence of a warrant and returned to the meeting. The police then proceeded to attempt to break down the front door. When they failed they went round the back and broke through the wooden door. They forced everyone in the office on the floor, including a 10 year old girl, for 40 minutes before leaving without saying anything. Grigoryants stated that one of the masked men kicked him in the head and back. The police did not check any documents and did not offer any explanation as to why they came. Ernst Chyorny, a leader of the organization Ecology and Human Rights who was present during the raid, said that after police left he found his bag, which he had left in another room, had been searched.
An officer from the 18th precinct, who gave his name as Alexander Nikolayevich, stated that he was in charge of all patrol officers at the 18th precinct and knew nothing of the operation at the Glasnost Foundation.
The Glasnost Foundation is a harsh critic of the war in Chechnya and the Federal Security Service, or FSB. The organization conducts an annual conference titled "The KGB: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow." In light of this and the timing and nature of the operation, the Observatory considers this attack as a direct attempt to intimidate human rights defenders and prevent them from carrying out their work.
Furthermore, this constitutes a grave violation of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 9th December 1998, and in particular of its Article 1 which mandates that « everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels ».
Action requested :
Please write to the authorities urging them to:
i. put an end to any kind of harassment against human rights NGOs and all defenders of democracy in the country, and ensure that they be allowed to carry out their work without obstacles;
ii. abide by the provisions of the Declaration on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders adopted on the 9th of December 1998, by the U.N. General Assembly (“Declaration on the right and responsibility of individuals, groups and organs of society to promote and protect universally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms”), particularly, Article 1 (see above) and Article 6.c which mandates that « everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law and in practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to those matters ».
iii. more generally abide by the Universal declaration on Human Rights and Covenants and international Conventions ratified by the Russian Federation.
Addresses
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, President, The Kremlin, Moscow, Russia, e-mail president@gov.ru
Geneva - Paris, 30th August 2000
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken, quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a joint FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
To contact the Observatory, call the Emergency Line: Fax : 33 (0) 1 55 80 83 92
Tel. : FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT : + 41 22 809 49 39
E-mail observatoire@iprolink.ch