Read our summary of the week’s news: Week-ending 7 February 2020
Listen to our latest podcast [in Russian], with our guest Aleksei Sokolov speaking from Ekaterinburg: Simon & Sergei: Human rights in Russia week-ending 7 February 2020 – You can also find these podcasts on iTunes and Spotify
“In Grozny, lawyer Marina Dubrovina and Novaya gazeta journalist Elena Milashina were attacked by an aggressive mob of men and women. Dubrovina and Milashina had come to Chechnya for the trial of blogger Islam Nukhanov.” – OVD-Info’s Weekly Bulletin includes news of the outrageous attack on Marina Dubrovina and Elena Milashina in Chechnya. Translated by Judith Fagelson
“That’s how the system works: like a deranged monster, at times relaxing its jaws before then snatching a person away again, its actions each time defying logic and common sense. It’s scarier that way, because if the repression is indiscriminate, you never know who will be next, and when.”
– Team 29 on the case of Karina Tsurkan, charged with espionage. Translated by Lindsay Munford.
“Memorial Human Rights Centre supports the proposal by the Yabloko party to set up a working group of independent experts to prepare draft amendments to the Constitution and considers it necessary to support this work.” – Read Memorial’s statement on the proposed amendments to the Constitution. Translated by Simon Cosgrove
“I consider this a violation of the principle of judicial independence, not least because the wording in the proposed amendments says [regarding the reason for removal of a judge’s status] ‘for committing an act defaming the honour and dignity of a judge,’ but this is vague wording. It’s unconstitutional, and the judicial community should be outraged,’ Reznik said.” – Genri Reznik on the amendments to the Constitution proposed by the president. Translated by Alice Lee.
“The key questions in today’s decision are the dates, the budget, and, most important of all – whether researchers will have access to the documents on the basis of which it will be possible to create such a database. As of today a large number of these documents remain inaccessible.” – Yan Rachinsky commenting, along with Roman Romanov and Aleksandr Cherkasov, on the president’s proposal to create a single database of victims of political repressions. Translated by Nicky Brown, James Lofthouse and Mary McAuley
“There is no doubt that the entire criminal case initiated regarding the events of 27 March 2019 in Magas is politically motivated, not based on law but legitimated after the fact.” – Magomed Mutsolgov on the prosecutions of protest leaders in Ingushetia. Translated by Anna Bowles
“Corresponding with — and seeking the release of — political prisoners is necessary not only because it is a good cause, and because it could have been any one of us in their place. They’ve seen the dark side of our state system, and their thoughts and experiences can help society and, ultimately, improve life in Russia.” – Vera Vasilieva on her correspondence with political prisoners. Translated by Alice Lee
“[…] the far right ultimately ground to a halt and all but died out. Does this mean that we’ll never see it again, not even in a different configuration? No, not at all. I think that we probably will. I don’t know which constellation of events might cause that to happen. And the North Caucasus is still bubbling away, even if it is largely off the radar of those living elsewhere in the Russian Federation.” – Aleksandr Verkhovsky in an interview with 7×7 considers the fortunes of far-right activists in Russia. Translated by Lindsay Munford, Alissa Valles, Nina dePalma, Joanne Reynolds and Marian Schwartz
