Russia
22.10.04
Urgent Interventions
Russia: Harassment and Defamation of the Union of the Committees of Soldiers' Mothers
URGENT APPEAL – THE OBSERVATORY
RUS 006 / 1004 / OBS 081
Defamation / harassment
The Russian Federation
October 22, 2004
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in the Russian Federation.
Brief description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed of new acts of harassment against the Union of the Committees of Soldiers' Mothers, an independent Russian NGO, involved in the defence of the rights of conscripts, recruits and their relatives.
According to the information received, on 19 October 2004, Mr. Viktor Alksnis, a deputy in the Duma and a member of the group “Rodina” (“Homeland”), introduced a request before the Duma, aiming at investigating into the finances of the Union of the Committees of Soldiers' Mothers.
Mr. Alksnis explained his initiative to the media on October 20, 2004, in an interview on the radio, “Echo of Moscow”. He accused the Union of the Committees of Soldiers' Mothers of “weakening Russian defence ability and of enhancing the collapse of the army”. He also accused them of being “financed by the West for at least ten years” and stated that “the Committees receive orders from those who finance them”. Furthermore, Mr. Alksnis declared that the members of the Committees are not “soldiers' mothers” but “political professionals who receive a salary, head hundreds of offices everywhere in Russia and organise propaganda activities and publications”.
Mr. Alksnis reiterated his accusations on NTV, one of the main Russian TV channels, in the evening of October 20, during a TV program in which he was confronted to Mrs. Valentina Melnikova, the Secretary General of the Union of the Committees. He said that the organisation received 15 million dollars a year from abroad to make “anti-army promotion and help citizens to avoid military service”.
During a press conference on October 22, 2004 at the press centre of a newspaper called “Arguments and Facts”, Mr. Alknis announced that he had introduced a complaint before the minister of justice and the attorney general, so that an investigation into the finances of the Union be opened.
The Observatory has reasonable grounds to believe that those declarations and requests for investigation constitute an act of reprisal against the activities lead by the Committees in favour of soldiers’ rights. Indeed, the organisation has denounced human rights violations within the Russian Army, since its creation in 1991. Moreover, the Organisation has been very involved in trying to promote a peaceful solution to the conflict in Chechnya. On October 13, 2004, the Union of the Committees of Soldiers' Mothers published a note called “Give a chance to peace”, promoting the idea of negotiations between Russian authorities and Chechen separatist representatives.
The Observatory is very concerned about these acts which constitute a further step in the attempts, by highest representatives of the authorities, to discredit and target independent human rights NGOs by discrediting their sources of funding.
The Observatory recalls that international financing is one of the main conditions to the independence of NGOs and is guaranteed by the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of United Nations on December 9, 1998, which states in its article 13 that «[e]veryone has the right, individually or in association with others, to solicit, receive and utilize resources for the express purpose of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms through peaceful means, in accordance with article 3 of the present Declaration».
Background information:
These acts take place in the context of previous attempts aimed at portraying independent NGO members as criminals and representatives of foreign enemies of Russia, in order to discredit them in front of the Russian population. It also aims at operating a pernicious division between “good” and “bad” NGOs, so as to divide and weaken the community of human rights defenders (see International Fact-Finding Mission Report by the Observatory, Russia: Human rights Defenders faced with the “Dictatorship of the Law”, September 2004).
On May 7, 2004, during a press conference, the General Kraev, High Representative of the General Direction of Sentence Enforcement of the Ministry of Justice, accused human rights organisations of being financed by criminal organisations and by oligarchs (see Open letter of the Observatory to President Vladimir Putin, May 24, 2004). These declarations were linked to the recent activities and protests of human rights defenders against the deplorable conditions of detainees in Russia.
On May 26, 2004, in his annual speech on the state of the Nation, before the Federation Council, the upper chamber of the Parliament, Vladimir Putin declared: «thousands of associations and civil unions exist and work constructively in [Russia]. However, far from all of them are concerned by the defence of the real interests of the people. For some of these organisations, the main objective has become to receive funds from influent foreign and domestic foundations, for others the aim is to serve dubious groups and commercial interests» (see press release of the Observatory, May 28, 2004).
Actions requested:
Please write to the authorities of Russia urging them to:
i. put an end to any kind of harassment and defamation against the Union of the Committees of Soldiers' Mothers and all other independent human rights NGOs;
ii. comply with the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, in particular article 1 which states that “[e]veryone 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” and article 13 above mentioned;
iii. guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and other international instruments ratified by the Russian Federation.
Addresses:
*******
Paris - Geneva, October 22, 2004
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, an 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:
Tel and fax: FIDH : +33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT : (+ 41 22) 809 49 39 / 809 49 29
E-mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch
RUS 006 / 1004 / OBS 081
Defamation / harassment
The Russian Federation
October 22, 2004
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in the Russian Federation.
Brief description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed of new acts of harassment against the Union of the Committees of Soldiers' Mothers, an independent Russian NGO, involved in the defence of the rights of conscripts, recruits and their relatives.
According to the information received, on 19 October 2004, Mr. Viktor Alksnis, a deputy in the Duma and a member of the group “Rodina” (“Homeland”), introduced a request before the Duma, aiming at investigating into the finances of the Union of the Committees of Soldiers' Mothers.
Mr. Alksnis explained his initiative to the media on October 20, 2004, in an interview on the radio, “Echo of Moscow”. He accused the Union of the Committees of Soldiers' Mothers of “weakening Russian defence ability and of enhancing the collapse of the army”. He also accused them of being “financed by the West for at least ten years” and stated that “the Committees receive orders from those who finance them”. Furthermore, Mr. Alksnis declared that the members of the Committees are not “soldiers' mothers” but “political professionals who receive a salary, head hundreds of offices everywhere in Russia and organise propaganda activities and publications”.
Mr. Alksnis reiterated his accusations on NTV, one of the main Russian TV channels, in the evening of October 20, during a TV program in which he was confronted to Mrs. Valentina Melnikova, the Secretary General of the Union of the Committees. He said that the organisation received 15 million dollars a year from abroad to make “anti-army promotion and help citizens to avoid military service”.
During a press conference on October 22, 2004 at the press centre of a newspaper called “Arguments and Facts”, Mr. Alknis announced that he had introduced a complaint before the minister of justice and the attorney general, so that an investigation into the finances of the Union be opened.
The Observatory has reasonable grounds to believe that those declarations and requests for investigation constitute an act of reprisal against the activities lead by the Committees in favour of soldiers’ rights. Indeed, the organisation has denounced human rights violations within the Russian Army, since its creation in 1991. Moreover, the Organisation has been very involved in trying to promote a peaceful solution to the conflict in Chechnya. On October 13, 2004, the Union of the Committees of Soldiers' Mothers published a note called “Give a chance to peace”, promoting the idea of negotiations between Russian authorities and Chechen separatist representatives.
The Observatory is very concerned about these acts which constitute a further step in the attempts, by highest representatives of the authorities, to discredit and target independent human rights NGOs by discrediting their sources of funding.
The Observatory recalls that international financing is one of the main conditions to the independence of NGOs and is guaranteed by the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of United Nations on December 9, 1998, which states in its article 13 that «[e]veryone has the right, individually or in association with others, to solicit, receive and utilize resources for the express purpose of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms through peaceful means, in accordance with article 3 of the present Declaration».
Background information:
These acts take place in the context of previous attempts aimed at portraying independent NGO members as criminals and representatives of foreign enemies of Russia, in order to discredit them in front of the Russian population. It also aims at operating a pernicious division between “good” and “bad” NGOs, so as to divide and weaken the community of human rights defenders (see International Fact-Finding Mission Report by the Observatory, Russia: Human rights Defenders faced with the “Dictatorship of the Law”, September 2004).
On May 7, 2004, during a press conference, the General Kraev, High Representative of the General Direction of Sentence Enforcement of the Ministry of Justice, accused human rights organisations of being financed by criminal organisations and by oligarchs (see Open letter of the Observatory to President Vladimir Putin, May 24, 2004). These declarations were linked to the recent activities and protests of human rights defenders against the deplorable conditions of detainees in Russia.
On May 26, 2004, in his annual speech on the state of the Nation, before the Federation Council, the upper chamber of the Parliament, Vladimir Putin declared: «thousands of associations and civil unions exist and work constructively in [Russia]. However, far from all of them are concerned by the defence of the real interests of the people. For some of these organisations, the main objective has become to receive funds from influent foreign and domestic foundations, for others the aim is to serve dubious groups and commercial interests» (see press release of the Observatory, May 28, 2004).
Actions requested:
Please write to the authorities of Russia urging them to:
i. put an end to any kind of harassment and defamation against the Union of the Committees of Soldiers' Mothers and all other independent human rights NGOs;
ii. comply with the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, in particular article 1 which states that “[e]veryone 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” and article 13 above mentioned;
iii. guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and other international instruments ratified by the Russian Federation.
Addresses:
- Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, President of the Russian Federation, Kremlin, Moscow, Russia; Fax: + 7 095 206 8510, E-mail: president@gov.ru
- President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, c/o the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation, Avenue de la Paix 15, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland; Fax: + 41 22 734 40 44, E-mail: mission.russian@ties.itu.int
- Procurator General of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Ustinov, Rossiyskaya Federatsiya, 103793 g. Moskva K-31, Ul. B. Dimitrovka, d 15a, Prokuratura Rossiyskoy Federatsii, Generalnomu prokuroru
Ustinovu V., Russian Federation; Fax: + 7 095 292 88 48 - Chairwoman of the Presidential Human Rights Commission of the Russian Federation, Ella Pamfilova, Rossiyskaya Federatsiya,103132 g. Moskva, Staraya ploshchad, d 8/5, pod 3, Predsedatele Komissii po pravam cheloveka pri Prezidente, Pamfilove, Elle., Russian Federation; Fax:+ 7 095 206 48 55
- Nikolai Patrushev, Director General of the Federal Security Service, Bolshaia Lubianka 1/3, Moscow, Russia; Fax: + 7 095 975 24 70
- Ambassadeur, Skotnikov, Leonid, Av. de la Paix 15, CH-1211, Genève 20, Suisse ; Fax: +41 22 734 40 44, E-mail : mission.russian@ties.itu.int
- Minister of Internal Affairs, Rashid Nugaliev, ul. Zhitnaya, 16, 119991 Moscow, Russian Federation, Telegram: Rossiia, 119991, Moskva, Ministru vnutrennykh del; Fax: + 7 095 237 49 25
- Minister of Foreign Affairs, Igor Ivanov, Smolenskaya-Sennaya pl, 32/34, 121200 Moscow, Russian Federation, Telegram: Rossiia, 121200 Moskva, Ministru inostrannykh del; Fax: + 7 095 244 22 03
- Ambassador, Skotnikov, Leonid, Av. de la Paix 15, CH-1211, Genève 20, Suisse ; Fax: +41 22 734 40 44, E-mail : mission.russian@ties.itu.int
*******
Paris - Geneva, October 22, 2004
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, an 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:
Tel and fax: FIDH : +33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT : (+ 41 22) 809 49 39 / 809 49 29
E-mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch