Press Release, January 15, 2014

Yesterday the Committee Against Xenophobia established by a number of human rights organisations and national communities together with the YABLOKO party adopted a special decision not to cooperate with organisations and public and political figures supporting nationalists.

The decision was taken because one of the member organisations of the Committee proposed to hold the next meeting at the RPR-PARNAS party office.

Cooperation with the RPR-PARNAS party which nominated nationalist Alexei Navalny to run in the Moscow Mayoral Election 2013 is contrary to the objectives of the Committee and may cause reputational damage. This decision adopted at the Committee meeting by consensus extends to all other parties, organisations and political figures promoting xenophobia and ethnic intolerance.

“The Committee meetings and its contacts can take place with only those organisations and public and political figures who are not nationalists,” Galina Mikhaleva, Coordinator of the Committee, said. The participants of the meeting agreed with this.

Another decision of the Committee referred to non-participation in a rally against Islamophobia (in case such rally is permitted) scheduled on January 26. At present there have been different assessments of the goals of the initiators of the rally and possible consequences of such an event, which has not yet got a permission by the Mayor’s Office.

Stressing that all Russian citizens have a constitutional right to peaceful protest and sharing the declared slogans, the Committee members noted that it was necessary to get acquainted with the initiators of the event, but the latter did not come to the Committee meeting, despite the invitation.

“We do not know who organises this meeting and for what purposes. If the organisers promise to bring a million people to the rally but at the same time do not come to the meeting, then there are doubts what may actually happen at the rally,” the Committee members noted.

The Committee will take part in the anti-fascist demonstration on January 19 within YABLOKO’s column. Also the Committee plans a number of other activities, including monitoring ethnically motivated police actions.

At this meeting two new organizations joined the Committee: the Muslim Nations Development Fund and the International Committee for Citizens’ Diplomacy.

The Committee Against Xenophobia was formed for counteraction to xenophobia, proceeding from the results of the Forum Against Xenophobia and Nationalism held on November 4, 2013. The Committee joins together well-known human rights activists and representatives of public organisations.