Human Rights,
Activist’s Conviction Hurts Freedom of Expression
The conviction of a Russian human rights defender who highlighted abuses in the conflict in Chechnya is an unacceptable infringement on freedom of expression, Human Rights Watch said today.
On February 3, a court in Nizhny Novgorod convicted Stanislav Dmitrievsky, executive director of the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society and editor of the organization’s newspaper Pravozashchita, on charges of “inciting racial hatred,” and handed down a two-year suspended sentence. The charges stem from the publication in Pravozashchita of two statements by Chechen rebel leaders Aslan Maskhadov and Akhmed Zakaev. Holly Cartner
“The state’s case against Dmitrievsky was politically motivated and he should be exonerated,” said Holly Cartner, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Freedom of speech is in real jeopardy in Russia, and the Dmitrievsky case sends an unmistakable message to journalists and human rights defenders throughout Russia, that they too could be prosecuted for doing their job.”
Human Rights Watch reviewed the two statements that were the basis for the charges and found that they do not contain any language that could legitimately be prohibited under international human rights law. Pravozashchita published in its April-May 2005 issue a statement by Maskhadov, the Chechen rebel leader later killed by Russian forces, calling for the international community to facilitate negotiations to end the Chechen conflict. In another issue, it published a statement by Maskhadov’s representative, Zakaev, urging Russian voters not to reelect President Vladimir Putin and alleging that the war was in only his interests. 
The state’s case against Dmitrievsky was politically motivated and he should be exonerated. 
Director
Europe and Central Asia Division
The prosecution initially charged Dmitrievsky with making public calls for extremist activities, but the prosecutor’s office later reclassified the charges to “incitement of ethnic, racial and religious hatred or enmity” (article 282 (b) of the Russian criminal code).
Dmitrievsky has said that he will appeal the conviction.
Dmitrievsky’s conviction is also part of an ongoing government crackdown on civil society, particularly on those non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that receive foreign funding or work on sensitive issues.
The government began to systematically harass NGOs that work on issues related to Chechnya after Putin lashed out against NGOs in his 2004 state-of-the-nation speech. Since then, officials have instituted spurious criminal charges against activists, threatened them, sought to close down NGOs or refused to register them, and intimidated victims who have spoken out. 
The Russian-Chechen Friendship Society, which raises awareness about human rights abuses in Chechnya and helps victims seek justice, faced such pressure last year, when the Nizhny Novgorod department of justice tried unsuccessfully to liquidate it. The Nizhny Novgorod tax inspectorate has claimed that the organization owed one million rubles (about U.S.$35,000) in back taxes on a grant, which the inspectorate designated as “profit.” The organization is challenging the charges.
Dmitrievsky’s conviction came the same week that the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs closed the Russian PEN Center, an NGO that advocates for freedom of expression, and froze its bank account on charges that it failed to pay property taxes. On January 27 a Moscow arbitration court ruled that Russian PEN Center owed the equivalent of $150,000 in back taxes for the office it rents.
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Why no one saying any thing about the genocide in Somala. One this month we have
estimated the civilian death passed 2500 and
wounded is uncountable.
For what reason they have been killed into
their home?
There are atleast 1.5 million have been displaced by the indiscriminate carpet bombardments.
Where\'s the freedom and Sovereignty of the
World nations, if the us can authorize the killings and distruction of a whole nation because they do not want to under a colony.
I think the secretary general should either
resign or exercise the power of all nations and stop the madeness of the BUSH colonization.
The rights of the Somalian people has been
ignored and civilian shelling has been authorized, but wait! \"Where\'s the UN, EU, AOU, Arab league\"?
There are view people who still have their
dignity like \" Isaias Afewerke \" Eritrean President who said to the \" IGAD \" members
I am going to participate the distruction of the Somailian people.
The people who are fighting Mogadishu are not terrorist nor they are extremist, they are an ordinary people who reject the new era colonization.
These people have seen enough killings and abuses for the last 16 years, If for some
Godly reasons their faith can unite them
put peace in between them \" Why the whole
world is trying to destroy the only thing
that can unite them?
That\'s the only thing they have in common
and can lead them in to lasting peace.
We have to stop the madeness of targeting and labeling of all muslims as a terrorist
or Extremist and that\'s \" From my poor, uneducvated opinion\".
God bless and protect the righteous people.
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