Freedom House Condemns Ongoing Limits on Expression and Association in Russia, Calls for US Response
Freedom House is distressed by recent crackdowns by Russian authorities against activists who are drawing attention to human rights abuses in Chechnya and to the likely related murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya.
Last week, shortly after Politkovskaya was gunned down in the entrance to her apartment building in Moscow, Russian prosecutors invoked part of the country's new NGO law to shut down the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society, a group that opposes the ongoing conflict in the region. A few days later, on October 16, a rally in memory of the slain journalist held in the main city of Ingushetia, a region neighboring Chechnya, was broken up violently by local authorities. A number of activists were detained and some were beaten.
"We've known that the space for free expression and association in Russia is declining, but these recent crackdowns are particularly disturbing in light of Anna Politkovskaya's murder," said Jennifer Windsor, executive director of Freedom House. "Especially when Chechnya is the subject, it seems that authorities will go to many lengths to block a real examination of the issues."
Western governments have also been shamefully remiss when it comes to speaking out on abuses related to Chechnya. Freedom House strongly encourages the U.S. government to condemn actions by the Russian government restricting individuals freedom of speech and association. The organization also urges for increased pressure in calling for a serious investigation of Ms. Politkovskaya's death, and for greater scrutiny of human rights abuses occurring in Chechnya and surrounding regions.
"Since 9/11, the United States has virtually ignored the massive human rights abuses taking place within Chechnya and the ongoing conflict occurring there," said Ms. Windsor. "While a number of international human rights groups are working hard to publicize what's going on in the region, their work has little use if our government condones the Putin administration's attempts to limit knowledge of activities in the area," she added.
Freedom House's program, the American Committee for Peace in the Caucasus, highlights issues in the region and seeks to expand international support for human rights defenders and local organizations at risk of being isolated from the international community.
Freedom House, an independent non-governmental organization that supports the expansion of freedom in the world, has monitored political rights and civil liberties in Russia since 1991 and specifically in Chechnya since 1998.
More information on Russia and Chechnya can be found at:
Freedom in the World 2006: Russia
Freedom in the World 2006: Russia: Chechnya