JANUARY 2007

From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng  (Original Message)    Sent: 1/27/2007 4:33 AM
January 23rd 2007 · Prague Watchdog     
    
    
Russia's Supreme Court okays dismantling of Russian-Chechen Friendship Society
Russia's Supreme Court okays dismantling of Russian-Chechen Friendship Society

By Prague Watchdog

MOSCOW - A Russian NGO, which has been reporting on the conflict in Chechnya for several years, has lost another round in the battle waged against them by the government.

Today the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation turned down the appeal of the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society (ORChD) against the Nizhny Novgorod regional court’s verdict to dismantle the organization.

The NGO, based in Nizhny Novgorod, has been openly harassed by the authorities for the third year. Last year its director Stanislav Dmitriyevsky was given a two-year conditional sentence for publishing a Chechen resistance leader's call for peace talks.

Russian and international human rights organizations called the case politically motivated. In recent months, dozens of foreign politicians and celebrities, ...
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From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng  (Original Message)    Sent: 1/27/2007 4:36 AM
January 25th 2007 · Prague Watchdog / Tomáš Vršovský     
    
    
Czech MEPs condemn ongoing pressure on Russian-Chechen Friendship Society

By Tomáš Vršovský

PRAGUE/BRUSSELS – Two Czech members of the European Parliament have sharply criticized the Russian Supreme court's verdict of approving a ban on a Russian NGO that reports on human rights violations in Chechnya.

MEPs Zuzana Roithová and Jana Hybášková have expressed their deep concern over the outcome of Tuesday's court hearings where the embattled Russian-Chechen Friendship Society tried in vain to appeal the harsh sentence. Recently the two Czech MEPs - along with dozens of other political figures and prominent international personalities - became members of the Russian organization in an effort to save the NGO from being dismantled.

“I find prohibiting the operations of any NGO seeking to improve Russian-Chechen relations very worrisome. First of all, it sends a poor signal ...
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From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng  (Original Message)    Sent: 1/27/2007 3:43 PM
International Groups Denounce Plans of Nationalist Rally in Moscow

26.01.2007

MosNews

Far right Russian groups marching in Moscow on Sunday for the release of alleged political prisoners are using the march as an excuse to hold a racist rally, the Reuters news agency quoted human rights campaigners as saying on Friday.

The Russian government has banned rallies by ultra-nationalists in the past after neo-Nazis and skinheads paraded through Moscow chanting racist slogans in 2005.

Organisers of the protest said they had obtained a police permit to hold a rally in central Moscow and that there was no explicit racist content in the planned event.

“We are expecting about 1,000 people,” said Yevgeny Valyayev, a spokesman for the far-right Russian March movement.

“This time we managed to get permission. There will probably be twice as many security forces there.”

The Russian March’s Web site said protesters will appeal for the release ...
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From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng  (Original Message)    Sent: 1/30/2007 2:05 AM
Militiamen tortured to death Adygeya inhabitant
Publication time: 28 January 2007, 19:54

The Krasnodar territory court made a verdict on the criminal case concerning three local authorized militiamen and their civil friend, which had been accused of the murder of Adygeya inhabitant.

As YUGA.ru portal informed, referring to the press-service of the court, one of the militiamen was punished with 5 years of jail; the second one - six years and a half of prison; the two other divisionals are convicted, accordingly, to 18 and 16 years of jail. Their civil friend is convicted to 15 years of prison.

The four defendant militiamen were accused according to part 2 clause 105 of the Criminal Code of Russian Federation (Murder) and part 3 clause 286 of the Criminal Code of Russian Federation (Excess of official powers). Their friend was accused only according to clause 105 of the ...
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From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng  (Original Message)    Sent: 1/30/2007 2:24 PM
23.1.2007 14:01 MSK
Coordinator of Moscow "Defense" movement threatened
RUSSIA, Moscow. On January 17, three unidentified men in civilian clothes attempted to enter the apartment of Moscow «Defense» coordinator "defense" Mikas Murashev. After presenting themselves as police, they demanded that Murashev's wife immediately open the door, without explaining why and threatening that if she refused "things could go badly".

Without having achieved their objective, the unidentified men ended their siege of Murashev's apartment.

The regional police told Murashev that they sent no one to his address, and recommended he not open the door. They suggested the men a the door might be from the UBOP (the organized crime unit), which actively opposes independent public organizations.

Not long before this, Mikas Murashev was called by someone who identified himself as Lieutenant Police Colonel Kostikov, who proposed they "meet encountered and have a talk", the subject of which is ...
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