| Human rights ombudsman Vladimir
Lukin on 11 September criticized those who advocate "tightening
the screws" on society in the wake of the recent terrorist incidents,
RTR reported. "This is talk from people who are unable to deal with
the difficult problems with which we live in a relatively more or less
free society," Lukin said. Lukin compared the atmosphere in Russia
today with what happened in the United States following the 11 September
2001 terrorist attacks. "What happened there? Did they abolish democracy?
Did they forbid citizens from the provinces from coming to Washington and
New York? Nothing of the sort," Lukin said. "They set up an independent
commission with representatives of many elements of civil society. The
president accepted its recommendations with gratitude. And now we can see
that in the course of three years there have not been major acts of terror
[in the United States]." Lukin alleged that he had been illegally
prevented by Moscow authorities from appearing on television during the
Beslan hostage crisis.
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Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, September 13, 2004
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