Russia
26.01.06
Urgent Interventions
Russian Federation: Slander campaign against several NGOs
Geneva-Paris, January 26, 2006 - The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), in the framework of their joint programme, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, wish to express their deep concern about a new defamation campaign against human rights NGOs carried out by the Russian authorities.
According to the information received, the Russian government publicly launched a media campaign of defamation against several civil society and human rights organisations, including the Moscow Helsinki Group, the Nizhny Novgorod Committee Against Torture, the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights, and the Eurasia Foundation. Indeed, on January 22 and 23, 2006, the Russian Intelligence Service (FSB) accused the mentioned NGOs of collecting funds from the British Intelligence Services in documentaries broadcasted on two state-controlled TV channels, including the RTR. These organisations denied the accusations and stated that the grants they received were related with the carrying out of specific projects and completely legal.
This smear campaign is part of a growing governmental campaign against independent civil society and human rights defenders taking place in Russian media. Accusations such as the ones made this week by Mr. Sergey Ignatchenko, FSB official representative, could provide the government with justification to close them down and declare them illegal under the law entitled “Amendments to some federal laws of the Russian Federation”, which violates the right of freedom of association. This law was approved by the lower House of Parliament (Duma), on December 23, 2005, signed by President Putin on January 17, 2006 and will come into force on April 10, 20061.
The Observatory recalls that members of human rights organisations are constantly subjected to threats and smear campaigns, including in the media (See Annual Report 2004 of the Observatory).
The Observatory strongly urges the Russian Federation authorities to put an end to all acts of harassment against human rights NGOs and their members, in particular the Moscow Helsinki Group, the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights, the Nizhny Novgorod Committee Against Torture and the Eurasia Foundation. More generally the Observatory urges the authorities to comply with the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of United Nations on December, 9, 1998, in particular its article 1 that states “Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”, as well as article 12.2., which states that “The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration”.
More generally, the Observatory calls on the Russian authorities to guarantee the respect on human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Universal declaration on Human Rights and other international instruments ratified by the Russian Federation.
1 See Observatory Press Release, dated January 20, 2006. In particular, amendment to article 33 to the Law on non-profit making organisations (NKO) lists grounds for dissolution or cessation of activities of an organisation through a court procedure, namely: if the organisation undertakes extremist activities (no definition of such activities is provided), if it provides assistance in legalising illegally acquired funds, if it violates the rights and freedoms of citizens, if it commits repeated and serious violations of the Constitution, of federal laws or any other norms, or if the activities do not comply with the aims set forth in the statutes. The particularly vague wording of these provisions makes the Observatory fear an arbitrary interpretation.
According to the information received, the Russian government publicly launched a media campaign of defamation against several civil society and human rights organisations, including the Moscow Helsinki Group, the Nizhny Novgorod Committee Against Torture, the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights, and the Eurasia Foundation. Indeed, on January 22 and 23, 2006, the Russian Intelligence Service (FSB) accused the mentioned NGOs of collecting funds from the British Intelligence Services in documentaries broadcasted on two state-controlled TV channels, including the RTR. These organisations denied the accusations and stated that the grants they received were related with the carrying out of specific projects and completely legal.
This smear campaign is part of a growing governmental campaign against independent civil society and human rights defenders taking place in Russian media. Accusations such as the ones made this week by Mr. Sergey Ignatchenko, FSB official representative, could provide the government with justification to close them down and declare them illegal under the law entitled “Amendments to some federal laws of the Russian Federation”, which violates the right of freedom of association. This law was approved by the lower House of Parliament (Duma), on December 23, 2005, signed by President Putin on January 17, 2006 and will come into force on April 10, 20061.
The Observatory recalls that members of human rights organisations are constantly subjected to threats and smear campaigns, including in the media (See Annual Report 2004 of the Observatory).
The Observatory strongly urges the Russian Federation authorities to put an end to all acts of harassment against human rights NGOs and their members, in particular the Moscow Helsinki Group, the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights, the Nizhny Novgorod Committee Against Torture and the Eurasia Foundation. More generally the Observatory urges the authorities to comply with the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of United Nations on December, 9, 1998, in particular its article 1 that states “Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”, as well as article 12.2., which states that “The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration”.
More generally, the Observatory calls on the Russian authorities to guarantee the respect on human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Universal declaration on Human Rights and other international instruments ratified by the Russian Federation.
1 See Observatory Press Release, dated January 20, 2006. In particular, amendment to article 33 to the Law on non-profit making organisations (NKO) lists grounds for dissolution or cessation of activities of an organisation through a court procedure, namely: if the organisation undertakes extremist activities (no definition of such activities is provided), if it provides assistance in legalising illegally acquired funds, if it violates the rights and freedoms of citizens, if it commits repeated and serious violations of the Constitution, of federal laws or any other norms, or if the activities do not comply with the aims set forth in the statutes. The particularly vague wording of these provisions makes the Observatory fear an arbitrary interpretation.