International Rights Groups on Russia
Amnesty International: Rights Defender Arbitrarily Arrested in Chechnya
![]() Free Oyub Titiev, Drop All Charges Police in Chechnya have arbitrarily arrested Oyub Titiev, head of the local office of Memorial, Russia’s leading human rights organization, on bogus drug possession charges, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Front Line Defenders, FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture in the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, and International Partnership for Human Rights said today. Authorities should immediately free Titiev, drop the charges against him, and stop hindering the work of human rights advocates in Chechnya, the international human rights groups said. “Titiev’s arrest is a clear signal that authorities in Chechnya are trying to force Memorial out of Chechnya, which is an affront to everyone there who needs protection from human rights abuses,” said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Titiev should not be in custody, where we fear his health and safety are at risk.” [Read more] |
Amnesty International: Human Rights Defender Detained in Chechnya - Oyub Titiev
![]() On 9 January, police arbitrarily arrested Chechen human rights defender Oyub Titiev. He was held incommunicado for several hours and remains in detention falsely accused of drug possession. If tried and convicted he could face up to 10 years in prison. He is a prisoner of conscience and must be released immediately and unconditionally. [Read more] Source: 'RUSSIAN FEDERATION: HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER DETAINED IN CHECHNYA: OYUB TITIEV,' Amnesty International, 10 January 2018 |
Front Line Defenders: Oyub Titiev facing criminal investigation
![]() On 9 January 2018, Oyub Titiev was taken from his car by people in road police uniform and brought at Kurchaloy regional police station. Later same day, he was accused of drugs’ possession and criminal investigation was opened against him. On 9 January, 2018 at approximatively 10:30AM, Titiev’s car was stopped by five road police officers on the road to Kurchaloy, Chechnya, and the defender was taken from his car. For five hours his whereabouts were unknown. His lawyer went to the Kurchaloy police station and was initially told that Oyub Titiev was not among the detainees. Several hours later, the head of Kurchaloy police station confirmed that the defender was detained there. Six hours after the detention of Titiev, his lawyer was admitted to the police station and was able to meet with Titiev. He was informed that during the search of Titiev’s car, police found a black plastic bag containing 180 grams of marijuana and the criminal investigation against Titiev was opened for “Illegal Making, Acquisition, Storage, Transportation, Sending, or Sale of Narcotic Drugs or Psychotropic Substances” under Article 228 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. [Read more] Source: Oyub Titiev facing criminal investigation, Front Line Defenders, 9 January 2018 |
Front Line Defenders: Brutal Attack on Environmental Campaigner
![]() On 28 December 2017, three unidentified, masked men violently attacked environmental rights defenders, Andrei Rudomakha, Aleksandr Savelyev and Victor Chirikov, along with a correspondent for the online news source, “Free Media,” near the house of an activist Pavel Suganeev in Krasnodar. Andrei Rudomakha is the director of Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (EWNC), which focuses on environmental rights and campaigns for the preservation of wild life in the region. The organization has conducted investigations into rights violations caused by illegal land grabbing by local officials. Aleksandr Savelyev also works for the organization and Victor Chirikov volunteers for EWNC. On 28 December 2017, Andrei Rudomakha, Aleksandr Savelyev, Victor Chirikov and a correspondent for the online news source, “Free Media,” traveled to the Black Sea coast to investigate allegations concerning the illegal construction of a luxury mansion. The defenders attempted to film the construction work but were stopped by security officers guarding the facility who demanded that the defenders present their passports. [Read more] Source: "Brutal Attack on Environmental Campaigner," Front Line Defenders, 29 December 2017 |
Amnesty International: Former Soviet states entrenching homophobia and demoralizing LGBTI rights activists
![]() Discrimination, homophobia and Russia’s crusade against “non-traditional sexual relationships” have helped fuel a worrying rise in hostility towards LGBTI human rights groups in parts of the former Soviet Union said Amnesty International, in a new report today. ‘Less equal: LGBTI human rights defenders in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan’ explores the increasingly discriminatory environment that LGBTI rights groups in four former Soviet states have faced in recent years, including within the human rights community itself. In all four countries attitudes have hardened against LGBTI people, in part as a consequence of the repressive rhetoric and practices emanating from Moscow. [Read more] Source: 'Former Soviet states entrenching homophobia and demoralizing LGBTI rights activists,' Amnesty International, 22 December 2017 |
Amnesty International: Russian Federation - Mother Loses Custody Over Kids for Son's Long Hair: Lyubov Litsegevich and her 7 Children
![]() Local authorities, in the Bogradskiy District, Russia, have removed seven children from their adoptive mother after she allowed one of her four year-old sons’ hair to grow long. The authorities interpreted this as her fostering the “wrong” gender identity in him, an absurd accusation arising in the context of state-sponsored homophobia, transphobia and gender stereotyping in Russia. [Read more] Source: 'RUSSIAN FEDERATION: MOTHER LOSES CUSTODY OVER KIDS FOR SON'S LONG HAIR: LYUBOV LITSEGEVICH AND HER 7 CHILDREN,' Amnesty International, 21 December 2017 |
Human Rights Watch: Syria/Russia - Airstrikes, Siege Killing Civilians
![]() Allow Urgent Aid into Besieged Eastern Ghouta and End Indiscriminate Attacks (Beirut) – Syrian government and Russian forces have escalated their airstrikes on Eastern Ghouta, a suburb approximately 15 kilometers from the center of Syria’s capital Damascus, killing dozens of civilians in apparently unlawful attacks, Human Rights Watch said today. Syrian forces have tightened their siege of the enclave, held by anti-government armed groups, severely restricting humanitarian aid in violation of the laws of war and preventing civilians from leaving the area. The UN Security Council, which on December 19, 2017, renewed its mandate for cross-border delivery of humanitarian aid to millions of desperate Syrian civilians, should demand that the Syrian government immediately end unlawful restrictions on aid to Eastern Ghouta or face targeted sanctions against those responsible. [Read more] Source: 'Syria/Russia: Airstrikes, Siege Killing Civilians,' Human Rights Watch, 22 December 2017 |
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