July 28, 2011 |
| LI
condemns terrorist attacks in Norway
LI News Bulletin, Issue 243, July 28, 2011
LI President Hans van Baalen MEP has
conveyed his condolences to the Norwegian Government
and Parliament and to the LI Member Party Venstre
of Norway following the loss of more than 90 lives
in the terrorist attacks last Friday. “The condolences
of Liberal International go to Norwegian society,
the family and relatives of the victims and to those
wounded in, as it seems, a ruthless terrorist attack
on the government buildings in central Oslo and on
the resort of the Norske Arbeiderpartiet (Norwegian
Labour Party) at Utøya.”. The party offices
of Norwegian LI member party, Venstre, suffered extensive
material damage during the attack. Expressing her
condolences to all of those affected, Venstre leader
Trine Skei Grande said: “These are days for
comfort, thoughtfulness and reflection. Take care
of each other. We must remember to maintain our democracy
and an open society.” In order to honour the
national grieving, the Norwegian party leaders have
decided to postpone campaigning in the upcoming local
elections in September until further notice.
MORE
LI
Vice President assesses situation in Tunisia
LI Treasurer elected to Chatham House Council
Executive Committee of IFLRY convened in Timisoara
Post-conflict issues continue to traumatise Serbia
and Kosovo
UREC President: “"The wind of change is
coming and the Congo will change”
Liberals praise Eurozone unity
New York sees first same sex couples wed
|
July 27, 2011 |
| Environmentalists’
lives endangered by the security of the “Putin’s
Palace”
Press Release, July 27, 2011
...Dressed in black uniform and with
police batons the security resembled nazies. All the
time the activists reached some road the securities
prohibited them to use it. Soon it became clear that
they received an order to “teach them a lesson”
so that to make the environmentalists keep away from
the Indokopas company and “Putin’s Palace”.
So the activists had to make a very difficult three-hours
march through the forest via a mountain pass and past
a canyon. Such a trip endangered their lives, the
activists were all bruised and bleeding when late
at night they managed to get on the road by Praskeyevka
village.
The actions by the security of the
“Putin’s Palace” were absolutely
unlawful, moreover the security on purpose endangered
the lives of the environmentalists. The police did
not come to rescue despite of the fact that the call
made by the activists was registered by the local
police department... |
July 26, 2011 |
| Bulk
terminal in Tuapse to be launched despite the decision
of the President
Press Release, July 25, 2011
On July 26, chemical fertilizers will
be delivered to bulk terminal in the centre of Tuapse,
Black Sea coast, so that to begin their exports already
in early August. The terminal is launched despite
the order of the President to hold public hearings
and consultations with environmental organisations.
The YABLOKO party and North Caucasus Environmental
Watch are going to conduct several actions in the
city centre and by the terminal...
Actions on July 26 will be followed
by a mass-scale protest rally YABLOKO and environmentalists
are preparing now... |
| YABLOKO
supports Platon Lebedev in Velsk
Press Release, July 26, 2011
Today on July 26, local YABLOKO branch
in the town of Velsk, Arkhangelsk region, and the
Vazhsky Krai public movement conducted a picket in
support of Platon Lebedev, ex-head of the Menatep
Group (the YUKOS case). The Velsk City Court has begun
examination of Lebedev’s application on release
on parole.
According to Valery Kvitkovsky, head
of the Velsk branch of YABLOKO, about 30 people were
picketing the court. People were holding placards
“Freedom to Platon Lebedev”, “No
to Police State!” and “Citizens of Velsk
Support Platon Lebedev”... |
July 25, 2011 |
| YABLOKO
to conduct pickets in support of Platon Lebedev in
Velsk, Arkhangelsk region
Press Release, July 25, 2011
YABLOKO and the Vazhsky Krai public
movement will conduct pickets in support of Platon
Lebedev in the town of Velsk (where he is serving
his term of imprisonment) on July 26-27. Platon Lebedev,
ex-head of Menatep, who had been sentenced to 13 years
of prison camp in the YUKOS case was convoyed to the
prison camp Ni 14 under Velsk in late June. Lebedev
applied for release on parole, and on June 26 the
Velsk court have to examine his application. YABLOKO
insists that the court should take a positive decision
on the release of Platon Lebedev... |
| YABLOKO
campaign unfairly targeted
ELDR Press Release, July 22, 2011.
...In conducting a campaign in the
Black Sea coastal region to return public land, including
beaches and forest areas, to the people and to stop
the construction of oil shipment terminals, ELDR member
party YABLOKO, has been targeted by an unknown source
which is calling for the party to be put on a list
of terrorist organisations and for its activities
to be prohibited.
Click
here to read YABLOKO's press release on this matter.
This follows the arrest last month
of YABLOKO activists campaigning for better environmental
awareness and consideration at the Black Sea coast.
Read
more.
The notion of wanting to label a political
party as being a terrorist organisation on the basis
of conducting a peaceful campaign that represents
the views of a number of citizens living in the area
concerned is very worrying and a clear infringement
of human rights and on the actions of YABLOKO as a
political party. ELDR deplores such attempts to limit
the freedom of expression of the Russian people and
the underhand tactics used against YABLOKO to halt
the campaign. |
July 23, 2011 |
| Condolences
on the acts of terror in Norway
Condolences, July 23, 2011
The Russian United Democratic Party
YABLOKO expresses its deep condolences in view of
barbaric acts of terror in Norway. Our people know
the burden of such grief and we completely share your
feelings.
Terrorism is a danger which can be
confronted only with a joint effort in combating the
causes giving rise to such monstrous things.
We are sharing your pain.
And we are confident in the courage
of the Norwegian nation.
Sincerely,
Sergei Mitrokhin,
Chair of the YABLOKO party
|
July 21, 2011 |
| YABLOKO
advocates release on parole for YUKOS head Platon
Lebedev
Statement by the YABLOKO party,
July 20, 2011
In connection with the fact that hearings
on the application of [ex-YUKOS head] Platon Lebedev
will be held in the court of Velsk, Arkhangelsk region,
on July 26, the Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO
insists that the court should take a positive decision
[regarding the release of Lebedev].
An extremely odious YUKOS case in
which Platon Lebedev was twice sentenced to imprisonment
is not only a subject to litigation in different courts,
but it has also been attracting the attention of many
ordinary people who are concerned about Russia's future.
It is impossible to create a modern country when redistribution
of property and criminal prosecution of businessmen
has turned into a norm. The YUKOS case is one of many,
but it is remarkable in its scope and broad media
coverage and public resonance.
Release of prisoners and re-examination
of the YUKOS case in courts, as well as other similar
cases of Russian businessmen will become an essential
and necessary step in Russia’s movement from the post-Soviet
authoritarian state towards normal policies and a
European style economy functioning in the interests
of Russian citizens...
|
| Sergei
Mitrokhin arrived to Novosibirsk to encourage the
regional YABLOKO branch to more active work on the
threashold of the State Duma elections
Taiga-Info, Press
Release, July 20, 2011
Leader of the YABLOKO party Sergei
Mitrokhin arrived to Novosibirsk on July 20 so that
to intensify the work of the regional office on the
eve of the State Duma elections. According to Mitrokhin,
Oleg Donskikh can head the party branch in Novosibirsk.
Donskikh is at present the authorized representative
of the party in the region, reports Taiga-Info correspondent
on July 20...
|
July 19, 2011 |
| Sergei
Mitrokhin demands from Public Prosecutor General to
check who is funding the campaign envisaging enlisting
YABLOKO as a terrorist organisation
Press Release, July 19, 2011
YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin
applied to Public Prosecutor General Yury Chaika to
determine the sources of financing of a black PR campaign
launched against YABLOKO and ecologists fighting against
constructing of oil shipment terminals in Novorossiysk
and Tuapse, the Black Sea coast. After loud public
protests against construction of hazardous facilities
in the resort cities and his meeting with environmentalists
President Medvedev ordered (on June 8) the regional
authorities to conduct consultations with public organisations
and activists
Such a meeting was held in Krasnodar yesterday, on
July 18. However, not all the environmentalists and
representatives of public organisations were allowed
to be present. Thus, according to a personal order
of the anchor of the event, well-known Russian journalists
Vladimir Soloviyov, the security did not allow Suren
Gazaryan, activist of YABLOKO and North Caucasus Environmental
Watch to pass to the premises were the even was held.
However, Gazaryan got hold of a document entitled
“Action Plan for Creation of Broad Public Resonance
in Connection with the First Public Consultations."
According to the document, the goal of the PR campaign
is "to achieve generally positive reaction from
the Internet community on the decision to launch the
terminals in Tuapse and Novorossiysk." The unknown
PR technologists also set up the task to "discredit
environmentalists" fighting against this project
endangering the environment in the region...
|
| YABLOKO’s
leader to visit Novosibirsk
Press Release, July 19, 2011
Tomorrow on July 20, 2011, YABLOKO’s
leader Sergei Mitrokhin will visit Novosibirsk. The
trip is connected with reorganization of the Novosibirsk
regional branch of the party. Mitrokhin will meet
with the regional party activists and then will give
a press conference in the House of Journalists (address:
Soviytskaya 6, the press conference will begin at
12:00).
One of the issues that Mitrokhin is going to propose
is creation of the innovation centre (at present established
in Skolkovo, Moscow region). Mitrokhin says that this
decision of the government is erroneous and proposes
to use Novosibirsk and its Akademgorodok (Academicians’
City, science and research Russia’s city with
dozens of research centres) for this purpose.
“Novosibirsk can offer much better conditions
for creation of an efficient national innovation centre.
However, a system of measures for support of science
and research, higher education and innovative businesses
is required,” he noted...
|
| Residents
of Korolyov, Moscow region, jointly with YAB LOKO
managed to recall a new city development plan
Press Release, July 16, 2011
Draft city development
plan of Korolyov, Moscow region, was declined and
sent to revision. Such a decision was adopted on July
14 by the city administration basing on the results
of public hearings (see
our photo report) that took place in Korolyov
on July 4. Such a decision by
the city authority marks a real victory of the residents
of the city who together with YABLOKO conducted a
large-scale public campaign against the city development
policies of the Korolyov administration...
|
July 18, 2011 |
Picket
in protection of human rights to take place in Ufa
on July 19
Press Release, July 18, 2011
On July 19, 2011, the Bashkirian regional
branch of the YABLOKO party, the Committee of Civil
Control of the Republic of Bashkiria and “Human
Rights, Information and Culture” civil foundation
will conduct a joint picket in defence of Article
19 of the Russian Constitution guaranteeing protection
of human rights in Russia... |
| A
“chalk written slogan” action “This
government must go!” was held in different Russian
cities
Press Release, July 14, 2011
On July 13 activists of the Youth
Yabloko in different Russian cities conducted a solidarity
action with their young colleagues from Ekaterinburg
and Moscow who had been detained for anti-government
slogans done in chalk on the pavement...
Activists of the Chelyabinsk Youth
Yabloko conducted an action by the ruling United Russia’s
office. Young Yabloko activists wrote in chalk on
the pavement in front of the ruling party’s
office slogans "This government must go,"
"Go away!" and "This government does
not need us"...
|
July 15, 2011 |
| YABLOKO
leaders meet with PACE Rapporteurs
Press Release, July 14, 2011
On July 14 YABLOKO leaders meet with
members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe, Rapporteurs on the monitoring of Russia,
Mr Andreas Gross and Mr Gyorgy Frunda, and Ms. Agnieszka
Nachilo, Deputy Head of the Secretariat of the Monitoring
Committee. The rapporteurs are preparing a report
on the monitoring of Russia's obligations and commitments
entered upon accession to the Council of Europe for
the presentation in the Parliamentary Assembly...
|
| Liberals
deplore further violent crackdown on Belarus demonstrators
LI News Bulletin, Issue 241, July 15, 2011
“The flagrant violence that
is employed by the Belarusian law-enforcement agencies
against peaceful protests is absolutely unacceptable,”
said in a prompt reaction to the latest news from
Belarus the German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle
(FDP, LI Full Member). He expressed great concern
over the recent violent crackdown on anti-government
protesters demanding “the immediate release
of all political prisoners and an end to political
violence”. Westerwelle's statement follows a
recent joint
statement of LI, ELDR, ALDE-EP and ALDE-PACE,
issued shortly after the Presidential elections in
Belarus in connection to the violent repression of
political protests...
MORE
LI
President meets the Prime Minister of Poland
Treasurer Woodthorpe Browne highlights R2P as a liberal
issue
Liberals speak out in support of South Sudan
ALDE opens office in Cairo
LibDems take leading role in clearing up hacking scandal
Georgian LI Member enters into a Political Coalition |
July 13, 2011 |
| Young
YABLOKO’s activists arrested for writing on
the pavement with chalk “This government should
resign!” in front of the United Russia’s
office
Press Release, July 13, 2011
Today police arrested activists of
the Youth YABLOKO – Kirill Gontcharov, Gleb
Sitnikov and Sofia Rusova – for writing “This
government should resign!” in front of the United
Russia’s party office in the center of Moscow...
Today’s action by the United Russia office was
conducted in solidarity with the activists of the
Youth YABLOKO branch in the Sverdlovsk region –
Anastasya Zheltisheva and Eugeni Mezentsev - who stood
before court today for writing the same slogan during
a concert organised by United Russia in Ekaterinburg...
Actions of solidarity are held today by United Russia’s
offices in other cities: St.Petersburg, Penza, Chelyabinsk
and Kostroma.
|
July 12, 2011 |
|
EU
must carry out full evaluation of Counter Terrorism
policies
Press Release, ALDE, July 12, 2011
“In a democratic society, all
policies are subject to parliamentary scrutiny and
evaluation. The regular standards of transparency
and accountability should apply to counter terrorism
like any other policy area. But so far remarkably
little has been done to evaluate our counter terrorism
efforts and their results. An in-depth evaluation
is long overdue and will undoubtedly lead to more
efficient and effective policies”...
|
| A
mass protest rally held in Sterlitamak, Bashkiria
Press Release, July 12, 2011
On July 11, 2011, a mass protest rally
in protection of human rights and demanding dismissal
of the Eugeny Ulasevich, deputy head of the city administration,
was held in Sterlitamak, Bashkiria, despite the ban
of the local authorities. One of the organizers of
the rally was Damir Garifullin, leader of the Sterlitamak
branch of YABLOKO. The rally brought together about
seven hundred people.
The city authorities tried to move
the rally from the walls of the administration building,
however, the indignant citizens stayed at by the administration.
The police tried to detain Damir Garifullin, however
the participants of the rally interfered and did not
allow the police to detain him... |
| YABLOKO’s
rally in Aksay conducted despite counteraction of
the authorities
Press Release, July 8, 2011
YABLOKO’s rally in Aksay, the Rostov
region, was conducted despite counteraction of the
authorities.
Before the action the police notified
the organizers of the rally about administration’s
ban on the rally, the police told that all the participants
would be detained. “This is completely unlawful. The
Adminstration has no right to ban the rally. The authorities
can only offer a different place for conducting the
action,” YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin said.
Also someone threw leaflets that people
are prohibited to come to the park where the rally
had to due to “sanitary measures against insects and
hazardous effect of this pharmaceuticals on people”.
This was done in the morning on the threashold of
the rally. In spite f all of this the rally gathered
about 100 people... |
July 11, 2011 |
| Minister
of Transport should resign
Statement by YABLOKO Chairman,
July 11, 2011
The Russian United Democratic Party
YABLOKO expresses condolences to the relatives of
the victims of the terrible accident with “Bulgaria”
tourists ship. We support the
decision of Russian President Medvedev to declare
a nation-wide mourning...
YABLOKO demands from the authorities
to conduct not only a thorough and prompt investigation
and publish its results, but take up urgent actions
for raising safety of the river transport. We demand
an immediate inspection of passenger ships of the
river fleet, together with public inspections, which
should include civil society activists and representatives
of the opposition, and immediately stop exploitation
of the vessels similar to the "Bulgaria"
and others that do not meet the safety requirements... |
| Press
conference of Russia’s Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin
to take place on July 12
Press Release, July 11, 2011
Press conference of Russia’s
Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin to take place in Moscow,
on July 12. The topic of the press-conference is “Violation
of Russian citizens’ rights in 2011: the most
frequent complaints”.
Address: Moscow, Stariy Petrovsko-Razumovskiy
proyezd, 1/23 (floor 5). Komsomolskaya Pravda Office.
The press conference will begin at
12:00
|
| Don
Cossacks are joining YABLOKO
Press Release, July 11, 2011
YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin
visited Vyeselovly District of the Rostov region within
the framework of his visit to the southern Russian
region. He had a meeting with Eugeny Tkachyov, Cossack
chieftain (ataman) and other Cossacks. The
speakers in addition to modern problems also touched
upon the situation with Cossacks in the USSR, and
Sergei Mitrokhin promised to initiate on the state
level a discussion of the homicide of Cossacks in
that period... |
| Environmentalists
crash ‘Putin’s seaside palace’.
France 24. The Observers, July 5, 2011
...Last week, a handful of environmentalists
and political opposition party members made their
way to the site of Putin’s alleged fairytale
home to check out the mysterious place and assess
its environmental impact.
In January, the FRANCE 24 Observer’s website
published an article on the controversy triggered
by photos published on the internet of Putin’s
seaside palace near the southern town Paraskoveevka,
on the Black Sea. The site also published comments
made by Sergei Kolesnikov, a Russian businessman who
had been involved in the building’s construction,
and who maintained that the prime minister was its
true owner. Although officially classified as a centre
to be used for medical care, Kolesnikov was able to
use a paper trail detailing the building’s financing
to link it to Putin...
|
| ALDE
in PACE and EP focus on multi-party democracy in Russia
LI News Bulletin, Issue 240, July 8, 2011
Following the June session of the
Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE),
at which ALDE-PACE debated the rule of law in Russia,
the liberal colleagues from ALDE in the European Parliament
(ALDE-EP, LI full member) invited Mikhail Kasyanov
and Boris Nemstov, Leaders of the People's Freedom
Party (PARNAS) for discussions in Strasbourg. The
Russian leaders warned that the current policy is
paving the way for a Russian Spring similar to the
uprisings spreading through Arab countries, 'Russian
people do not seek another revolution but freedom
ultimately cannot be denied'. An earlier liberal conference
on the rule of law in Russia in Moscow on 22 June
produced a statement
condemning the refusal of the Russian authorities
to register several political parties, like PARNAS.
Sergei Mitrokhin, leader of LI full member YABLOKO,
has also released a statement
on the topic. Kristiina Ojuland MEP (Estonian Reform
Party, LI full member) reacted: 'The EU needs to send
an unequivocal message to Russia that the illegal
banning of legitimate parties from elections will
not be tolerated'.
More
Liberal
leaders meet with LP Philippines delegation in Strasbourg
LI Past President pays tribute to former Alliance
Leader Sir Oliver Napier
Thousands gather for Swedish Almedalsveckan
Partido Patriota gearing up for September elections
in Guatemala
“Red Shirt” successors replace LI VP Abhisit’s
Democrat Party in Thailand
Aung San Suu Kyi travels outside capital for the first
time in seven years
|
July 8, 2011 |
| Sergei
Mitrokhin: tortures in the name of Christ.
Sergei
Mitrokhin’s blog at the Echo Moskvi web-site, July 5,
2011 ...Our guys were
put into a jail cell in the police station 3 by 3
meters large, where about 20 people had already been
crammed along with them. People were standing, squatting
or lying close to each other on the dirty cement floor.
One of them - a homeless person – obviously had tuberculosis.
In this cell the guys were kept before sending them
to court: Goncharov for nine hours and Menzheritsky
for 14 hours...
...The convicts were housed in a temporary
detention facility, located in the same police building
in Gelenzhik. Menzheritsky was kept cell No 13. The
cell was about 16 square meters. m, and was designed
for seven, but the police kept 18 people there. The
cops did not try to hide the fact that the temporary
detention prison had several vacant cells. They tormented
18 people on purpose, so that, according to the police
officers, "they would try to avoid getting there
in the future”. People had to
queue so that to sleep in turn on a board couch (as
there were no separate beds and linen)... |
| Ombudsman
Lukin succeeded in getting a ban from the Constitutional
Court on the proportional system for local elections
Press Release, July 8, 2011
The Constitutional Court of the Russian
Federation ruled that the laws for the use of a proportional
electoral system for municipal elections in small
rural communities do not comply with the Constitution
of the Russian Federation. The Constitutional Court
issued such a decision after receiving a complaint
from Vladimir Lukin, Russia’s Ombudsman and
one of the founders of the YABLOKO party. Lukin applied
to the Constitutional Court in defence of two residents
of the Chelyabinsk region, who were taking part in
the elections to the municipal council of their rural
settlement. The Electoral Commission
refused to register these independent candidates referring
to the proportional system (party lists only) set
for this settlement in the region...
|
| Calls
for infringement of the sexual minorities rights are
unacceptable for YABLOKO
Press Release, July 5, 2011
YABLOKO’S leader Sergei Mitrokhin
called the statement made by Alexander Fedulov, head
of the Kursk regional branch of YABLOKO, on the need
of repressive measures against the LGBT community
"unacceptable for a member of the party."
"Fedulov expressed his personal
opinion which contradicts the basic principles and
values of the YABLOKO party,” Mitrokhin said.
“ In a civilized state civil rights must be
respected regardless of ethnicity, social class and
sexual orientation," he added... |
|
Better
Schengen governance but no new rules enabling border
checks
Press Release, ALDE, July 7, 2011
"Parliament has backed today
what ALDE has been repeating for months. We do not
want and will not accept any new mechanism that may
weaken the Schengen acquis guaranteeing the principle
of free movement between Member States - the very
essence of our Union." said Renate Weber (PNL,
Romania) ALDE coordinator in the Civil Liberties Committee
after today's vote on a resolution on the "Changes
to Schengen" as called for by the June European
Council conclusion...
See also: The
EU must send a firm message to Russia to uphold multi-party
democracy
|
July 7, 2011 |
| Penitentiary
medicine must be subordinated to Health Ministry -
rights activists' report
Interfax, July 6, 2011
..."The facts listed confirm
the need to organize independent and competent medical
services for inmates of penitentiary facilities. Such
services cannot be exclusively controlled by the Federal
Penitentiary Service and must also be subordinated
to the Health Ministry," it says.
"It is necessary to create a
mechanism of independent medical examinations of the
inmates' condition on the basis of proposals provided
by the Office of the Moscow Human Rights Commissioner,
jointly with the City Public Supervisory Commission,"
the report says... |
July 6, 2011 |
| Inquiry:
Magnitsky Beaten by Guards
The Moscow Times, July 6,
2011
Eight prison guards severely beat
lawyer Sergei Magnitsky shortly before his 2009 death
in pretrial detention, an activist said Tuesday, providing
a new twist to allegations that Magnitsky had been
tortured in prison.
An account of the beating is included in a 40-page
report on Magnitsky's death that the Kremlin's human
rights council presented to President Dmitry Medvedev
on Tuesday, said Valery Borshchyov, who headed an
independent investigation into the death that formed
the basis for the report.
The report also lays blame on prison
hospital staff and the investigators who jailed Magnitsky
for his death.
"Having interviewed the prison
doctors and staff, we came to the conclusion that
Magnitsky, who was already in bad condition, was beaten
in a separate cell," Borshchyov said by telephone...
The
original publication at the Moscow Times web-site
|
|
EP
sets out proposals to avoid further economic crises
Press Release, ALDE, July 6, 2011
"The EU is at a critical juncture:
it must decide either to increase its rate of integration
or regress to an economic zone", said CRIS chairman
Wolf KLINZ (FDP, Germany), after the European Parliament
adopted today by a large majority the final report
of its 'Special Committee on the Financial, Economic
and Social Crisis' - established in 2009 in response
to the crisis that had followed the collapse of Lehman
Brothers... |
| Nizhny
Novgorod branch of YABLOKO conducted a charity action
in Balkhan
Press Service of the Nizhny
Novgorod YABLOKO branch, July 5, 2011
Members of the Nizhny Novgorod branch
of YABLOKO Sergei Girin and Larissa Gorbunova and
Chair of the All-Russia Women’s Congress Tatyana Chertotskaya
visited the city of Balkhan last week. During their
visit they donated over 200 books of modern authors
to the local residential home for the elderly, an
orphanage and Pushkin’s library...
|
July 5, 2011 |
| Valery
Borschyov: Sergei Magnitsky died because he was severely
beaten
Press Release, July 5, 2011
A meeting of Presidential Council
on Human Rights and Civil Society Development will
take place in Stavropol today. The President will
receive a report on the investigation of the circumstances
of death in prison of Sergei Magnitsky, lawyer of
Hermitage Capital Foundation. Valery Borschyov, YABLOKO’s
Bureau member and Chair of the Permanent Chamber on
Human Rights of the Political Consultative Council
under President of Russia, conducted independent investigation
of the death of Sergei Magnitsky and participated
in the preparation of the report...
According to Borschyov, death rate
in Moscow remand prisons has risen by 12 percent for
the past year. "Certainly, a political will is
required so that to bring medical service in prisons
out of the Federal Penitentiary Service jurisdiction.
I am sure that our President will read our report
very carefully. The authorities have underestimated
the position of the European community, and the resolution
on the case by the Parliament of the Netherlands will
be followed by corresponding resolutions from parliaments
of other countries,” he added...
|
| The
Kremlin is trying to represent St Petersburg Governor
Valentina Matvienko’s nomination for speaker
of the Federation Council as a promotion, not punishment.
Some tricky formalities, however, will have to be
observed. By
Boris Vishnevsky. Novaya Gazeta, July 4, 2011
...How will the people of St Petersburg
remember Valentina Matvienko’s eight-year tenure
as governor? She is undoubtedly clever, resolute,
has a way of winning people over and at a pinch can
make a good impression even on her opponents. But
being an authoritarian politician, she hates being
criticized and sees the opposition not as people whose
point of view needs to be taken into account, but
as an enemy that should be destroyed if it doesn’t
surrender. It is no wonder that protests in St Petersburg
are broken up, opposition members are made ineligible
to run for public office and the results of elections
are often rigged... |
July 4, 2011 |
| Press-conference
"Persecution of Political Opposition with the
Help of the Criminal Code"
Press Release, July 4, 2011
Press-conference "Persecution
of Political Opposition with the Help of the Criminal
Code" will be held in the Independent Press Centre,
Moscow, July 7, at 2:00 p.m.
The following speakers will participate
in the press-conference: Andrei Babushkin, Chair of
the For the Civil Rights Committee, Zoya Svetlova,
member of Public Observation Commission, Anna Karyetnikova,
member of Public Observation Commission, and Irina
Fedotova, author of the book on lawyer Stanislav Markelov
murdered in Moscow in 2009. Presentation of the report
“Too loose interpretation of Articles 282, 280
and 205-2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation”
will also take place.
Address: Moscow, Prechistinka, 17/9,
1st floor, Independent Press Centre
|
Acquittal of prominent human rights lawyer Oleg Orlov,
ALDE-PACE News,
"I warmly welcome the acquittal
of Oleg Orlov. It is a step in the direction of ensuring
respect for the rule of law and a sign that Russian
courts are willing and able to interpret the right
to freedom of expression in accordance with the European
Convention on Human Rights. However, we should not
forget that the circumstances of the killing of Natalia
Estemirova have not yet been elucidated, and that
human rights defenders in Chechnya continue to be
threatened and hindered in exercising their activities."
- Mailis Reps (Estonia, ALDE), the rapporteur of the
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) on
the situation of human rights defenders.
See also:
Newsletter
N°3, 2011 |
July 1, 2011 |
| Youth
YABLOKO protested against anti European Court of Human
Rights draft law
Press Release, July 1, 2011
Today young activists from the Youth
YABLOKO conducted a serious a one-person pickets against
adoption of a draft law (submitted by Senator Alexander
Torshin) envisaging that Russia should not implement
the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights.
The State Duma had been planning to adopt the draft
law in the first reading but due to a heated public
discussion around the draft law decided to postpone
the discussion of the issue...
|
| YABLOKO’s
activists arrested by “Putin’s country
cottage” at the Black Sea Coast
LI News Bulletin, Issue 239, July 1, 2011
Kirill Gontcharov, leader of the Moscow
Youth YABLOKO (LI full member), and environmentalist
Sergei Menzhitsky were sentenced to five days of imprisonment
for alleged “physical resistance to police orders”.
They were detained in Divnomorskoye village at the
Black Sea, while protesting against unlawful and illegal
construction of cottages in national parks, which
involved turning public beaches and territories into
top officials' private property. The YABLOKO action,
titled “All-Russia Protest Against the Stolen
Black Sea Coast”, was launched on 24 June...
MORE
Documentation
for the 57th Congress of LI now online
LI Congress adopts resolution on LGBT rights as human
rights as UN calls for a study on human rights violations
based on sexual orientation
LI Treasurer at Community of Democracies Summit
CALD holds Executive Committee Meeting
SFP celebrates new Finnish government at its party
congress
Graham Watson MEP appointed Knight Bachelor in Queen’s
Birthday Honours
Georgian opposition parties reject ruling party proposals
for electoral reform
Moldova: Liberal Party candidate becomes Mayor of
Chisinau
|
| Public
Prosecutor dismisses charges against YABLOKO’s
MP in the Tula parliament Vladimir Timakov
Press Release,
June 30, 2011.
On July 30 Public Prosecutor
dismissed his charges against YABLOKO’s MP in
the Tula parliament Vladimir Timakov. Public Prosecutor
asked to close the case due to for absence of elements
of crime in the act after getting the results of a
linguistic expertise. This means that the sentence
of the court of the first instance recognising Timakov
guilty of libel for his criticism of the Governor
of the Tula Region will be cancelled.
Over two yeas ago Vyacheslav Dudka, Governor of the
Tula Region, started litigation against YABLOKO’s
MP in the Tula City Parliament Vladimir Timakov for
the criticism of the latter of the Governor’s
performance accusing Timakov of libel. In the first
civil process the Governor won 1.5 mln roubles of
“moral damage” from Timakov and than tried
to persecute the MP in the criminal proceedings which
could have led to deprivation of Timakov of his deputy’s
mandate... |
| Hands
Off from the European Court of Human Rights!
Statement by the YABLOKO party,
July 1, 2011
The YABLOKO party demands that Mr.Torshin’s
draft bills limiting the jurisdiction of the European
Court of Human Rights should be either revoked by
the author or declined by the State Duma.
A ban for the Russian judges to apply the decisions
of the European Court without their confirmation by
the Constitutional Court will lead to even greater
degradation of the Russian judicial system. The Constitutional
Court can not count on any trust from the Russian
citizens after the statements servile to the executive
authority and voiced by its Chair Valery Zorkin.
The citizens of Russia who became victims of unjust
court consider the European Court as the last hope
to achieve justice...
|
| Rally
against launching of the Tuapse bulk terminal by Eurochem
company gathered over two thousand people
Press Release, June 28, 2011
On June 26, a rally against launching
of chemical shipments terminal in Tuapse owned by
the Eurochem company was conducted in the centre of
the city. The action was organised by the North Caucasus
Environmental Watch on and YABLOKO’s Green Russia
faction. Despite the interaction from the administration
of the Tuapse district and the Krasnodar Territory,
the rally brought together over two thousand inhabitants
of the city... |
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