25 February 2009
Russia’s Human Rights Follow Negative Trajectory
U.S. report cites news media problems, lack of government accountability
Washington — Despite improvement in some areas, the Russian Federation continued a negative trajectory on human rights and government accountability, according to the State Department’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2008, released February 25. Among other problems, the legally mandated report mentions killings, torture and disappearances in areas of conflict, limited freedom of expression and restrictions placed on political opposition.
The most serious human rights abuses, according to the report, took place in the North Caucasus, especially in Ingushetia, Dagestan and Chechnya, where local governments face opposition from disaffected social groups and insurgencies. “Security forces reportedly engaged in killings, torture, abuse, violence, and other brutal or humiliating treatment, often with impunity,” in all three republics, the report says.
The report notes similar behavior on the part of various insurgent groups in North Caucasus, including bombing of civilian targets, killing and intimidation of officials, kidnapping for ransom and politically motivated disappearances.
The report also mentions the August 2008 Russian military invasion of Georgia, during which military operations by both sides “reportedly involved the use of indiscriminate force and resulted in civilian casualties, including a number of journalists.”
Arbitrary arrests, police brutality, mistreatment of prisoners, intimidation of defense lawyers and violations of trial procedures continued to be problems in the Russian law enforcement system, the report says. For example, authorities abrogated due process in cases involving persons, including foreigners, who allegedly obtained information considered sensitive by security services, according to the document.
Citing the Russian Ministry of Defense, the State Department report mentions continuing problems with brutal hazing practices in the Russian military, with 17 deaths reported in 2008. “Human right observers noted that few of the persons accused in the incidents had been prosecuted and held responsible,” write the authors of the report.
SUPPRESSION OF DISSENT, PARTICIPATION
The report notes a widening range of views expressed in print and Internet news media, but says many media organizations, especially major television networks, continued to see their autonomy weakened through direct ownership of news media outlets by the government, pressure on private owners to abstain from critical coverage, and harassment and intimidation of journalists into practicing self-censorship.
In July 2007, the government enacted a law that expanded the definition of “extremism” and gave law enforcement officials broad authority to suspend media outlets, raising concerns that the law may be used to stifle legitimate criticism, the report says.
The document states that local governments in Russia sometimes limited the freedom of assembly and used police violence to prevent peaceful protests. In some areas, they also limited some religious groups. There were incidents of discrimination, harassment and violence against religious minorities, including anti-Semitism.
But the report also notes that anti-Semitic incidents “were legally prosecuted, and the government publicly criticized nationalist ideology and expressed support for legal action against anti-Semitic acts.”
According to the report, the Russian government constrained the opposition from fully participating in the political process. Citing independent Russian and international observers, the document says that the March 2008 presidential elections in Russia were marked by the abuse of government resources, media bias, refusals to register opposition candidates, lack of equal opportunity to conduct campaigns and ballot fraud.
The report notes that the government also restricted the activities of some nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), especially those involved in human rights monitoring and those receiving funding from abroad, through selective application of the law, denying the organizations tax-exempt status and other measures.
Violence against women and children, as well as trafficking in persons, continued to be a problem in Russia, the report says. The document cites a report from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs that during 2008 approximately 12,000 women were killed by their husbands, boyfriends or family members.
The report also cites the NGO Children’s Rights, which said that approximately 40,000 children ran away from home during the year to flee abuse and neglect, along with 20,000 orphans who fled orphanages. The organization estimates that there are approximately 120,000 new orphans in Russia every year.
Although the number of Russian citizens trafficked abroad has decreased as a result of improved economic conditions, the report says that Russia continued to be a source, destination and place of transit for trafficked men, women and children.
The report says national, racial and ethnic minorities in Russia were subjected to frequent discrimination by government officials and law enforcement, and fell victim to an increased number of attacks by “skinheads” and other radical nationalist groups.
Although homosexuality is not illegal in Russia, the gay community continued to suffer societal stigma, including skinhead aggression against openly gay men, medical practitioners limiting or refusing gay people access to health services, and employers rejecting job applicants based on their sexual orientation, the report says. People with HIV/AIDS encountered similar forms of discrimination.
The Country Reports on Human Rights Practices are submitted annually by the U.S. Department of State to the U.S. Congress in compliance with a law that requires “a full and complete report regarding the status of internationally recognized human rights” in countries that receive U.S. assistance and all other countries that are members of the United Nations. The reports cover internationally recognized individual, civil, political and worker rights, as set forth in the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (See “Human Rights Report Sees Worldwide Demand for Greater Freedom.”)
For additional information, see the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices section on Russia (in English) and “Introduction” to the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices (in English).
