Russia
25.07.02
Urgent Interventions
Russia: Assault against a human rights NGO's premises
URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY
RUS 002/0702/OBS 046
Harassment/Assault
Russia
25th July 2002
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint FIDH and OMCT program, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in the Russian Republic of Chechnya:
Brief description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed by Memorial, a Russian Human Rights NGO, that on July 18, 2002 in the morning, an armed unidentified military group attacked its premises in Grozny which are located near the FSB police department.
The military group arrived at Memorial in a big car, managed to force the door as there was nobody in the premises, and began to destroy equipment located within.
One of the Memorial’s employees arrived at which point the members of the military group halted their searching and destructive activities, which are estimated as having caused around 5000 roubles worth of damage.
Memorial lodged a complaint to denounce this attack but the military forces answered that they were carrying out routine searches.
Since the beginning of the Chechen war, Memorial has undertaken daily monitoring activities in the region.
Memorial collaborated with the federal administration in Chechnya and tried to organize round tables between the military forces, the administration and itself, in order to discuss about certain problematic issues.
A few days before the attack, Memorial, considering that the dialogue had failed because of the lack of co-operation on the part of the other participants, ended collaboration with the federal forces through an open declaration.
The Observatory recalls that, there are such administrative obstacles and pressure on the part of the military forces, that those who try to undertake activities related to human rights in Chechnya and in the border Republic of Ingushetia face major risks.
Actions requested:
Please write to the Russian authorities urging them to:
i. Guarantee the security and physical integrity of the human rights defenders working in Chechnya and in Ingushetia;
ii. Order an immediate investigation into this attack in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the sanctions provided by law;
iii. Put an end to all forms of harassment and violence against Human Rights Defenders and ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by
the UN general Assembly on December 9, 1998 in particular its article 1, which provides that "every person has the right, individually or collectively, to promote the protection and fulfilment of human
rights and fundamental liberties at the national and international level" and article 12: "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.";
iv. Guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and other international instruments ratified by Russia.
Addresses:
1. Vadimir Poutin, Président, Le Kremlin, Moscow, Russia
Fax : +7 095 206 6277, +7 095 206 8510
Email: president@kremlin.ru, president@gov.ru, webmaster@gov.ru, presper@gov.ru,
2. Pesident of The Council of Federation, Email: akdi@akdi.ru
3. Procurator General of the Russian Federation,
Vladimir USTINOV
Ul. B. Dimitrovka, d.15a
103793 g. Moskva K-31
Russian Federation
Fax: +7 095 292 88 48
4. The Duma email www@duma.ru
**********
Paris, Geneva, 25 July 2002
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.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of The French Republic.
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 29E-mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch
RUS 002/0702/OBS 046
Harassment/Assault
Russia
25th July 2002
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint FIDH and OMCT program, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in the Russian Republic of Chechnya:
Brief description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed by Memorial, a Russian Human Rights NGO, that on July 18, 2002 in the morning, an armed unidentified military group attacked its premises in Grozny which are located near the FSB police department.
The military group arrived at Memorial in a big car, managed to force the door as there was nobody in the premises, and began to destroy equipment located within.
One of the Memorial’s employees arrived at which point the members of the military group halted their searching and destructive activities, which are estimated as having caused around 5000 roubles worth of damage.
Memorial lodged a complaint to denounce this attack but the military forces answered that they were carrying out routine searches.
Since the beginning of the Chechen war, Memorial has undertaken daily monitoring activities in the region.
Memorial collaborated with the federal administration in Chechnya and tried to organize round tables between the military forces, the administration and itself, in order to discuss about certain problematic issues.
A few days before the attack, Memorial, considering that the dialogue had failed because of the lack of co-operation on the part of the other participants, ended collaboration with the federal forces through an open declaration.
The Observatory recalls that, there are such administrative obstacles and pressure on the part of the military forces, that those who try to undertake activities related to human rights in Chechnya and in the border Republic of Ingushetia face major risks.
Actions requested:
Please write to the Russian authorities urging them to:
i. Guarantee the security and physical integrity of the human rights defenders working in Chechnya and in Ingushetia;
ii. Order an immediate investigation into this attack in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the sanctions provided by law;
iii. Put an end to all forms of harassment and violence against Human Rights Defenders and ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by
the UN general Assembly on December 9, 1998 in particular its article 1, which provides that "every person has the right, individually or collectively, to promote the protection and fulfilment of human
rights and fundamental liberties at the national and international level" and article 12: "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.";
iv. Guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and other international instruments ratified by Russia.
Addresses:
1. Vadimir Poutin, Président, Le Kremlin, Moscow, Russia
Fax : +7 095 206 6277, +7 095 206 8510
Email: president@kremlin.ru, president@gov.ru, webmaster@gov.ru, presper@gov.ru,
2. Pesident of The Council of Federation, Email: akdi@akdi.ru
3. Procurator General of the Russian Federation,
Vladimir USTINOV
Ul. B. Dimitrovka, d.15a
103793 g. Moskva K-31
Russian Federation
Fax: +7 095 292 88 48
4. The Duma email www@duma.ru
**********
Paris, Geneva, 25 July 2002
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.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of The French Republic.
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 29E-mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch