RUS 004 / 1214 / OBS 093
Attacks / Harassment
Russian Federation
December 19, 2014
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint
programme of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), requests your urgent
intervention in the following situation in the Russian
Federation.
Description of the situation
The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the attack of
the office of the Joint Mobile Group (JMG) in Grozny (Chechnya). The JMG is
a renowned human rights organisation that has played a crucial role in
revealing and documenting the continued violations of human rights committed
in Chechnya.
According to the information received, on December 13 and 14, 2014, the
office of the JMG in Grozny (Chechnya) was set ablaze. The workers were
captured and searched by masked armed men.
The event on December14, was preceded by direct attacks against the Head
of JMG and the Committee Against Torture, Mr. Igor Kalyapin
. On December 10, 2014 the Head of the Chechen Republic, Mr. Ramzan Kadyrov
accused Mr. Kalyapin on Instagram of supporting recent terrorist attacks in
Chechnya. He notably suggested that Mr. Kalyapin received foreign funds from
sources linked to Mr. Ahmad Umarov, the brother of the late Doku Umarov, the
self-proclaimed Emir of the Caucasus Emirate and arch-rival of Mr. Kadyrov.
Mr Kalyapin was subsequently attacked during his press conference in Moscow
on December 11, 2014. On December 18, following statements of Mr. Ramzan
Kadyrov, the Investigative Committee opened an investigation against Mr.
Kalyapin.
The Observatory considers this new series of harassment as a clear act of
reprisals for the recent activities carried out by Mr. Kalyapin, the JMG and
the Committee Against Torture.
On December 5, 2014, in the aftermath of terrorist attacks in Grozny where
26 people lost their lives, Mr. Kadyrov announced on his website and on
social networks that the houses of all militants shall be burned, and their
entire families expelled from Chechnya. In connection with these statements,
on December 8, 2014, Mr. Kalyapin requested the Prosecutor General to start
criminal proceedings against Mr. Kadyrov for violating the Criminal Code
(“abuse of power”, Art. 286) and several articles of the
Constitution (notably on the presumption of violence, freedom of movement,
the right to private property and the right to housing).
The Observatory calls on the authorities of the Chechen Republic and more
generally of the the Russian Federation to guarantee the physical and
psychological integrity of Mr. Igor Kalyapin, members of the JMG and members
of the Committee Against Torture, and to put an end to any verbal and
physical attacks and acts of harassment against human rights defenders in
Chechnya.
Actions requested:
Please write to the authorities of Russian Federation, urging them to:
i. Put an end to any act of harassment and verbal and physical attacks
against the JMG, the Committee Against Torture, their members, including Mr.
Igor Kalyapin, as well as all human rights defenders in Checnya and more
generally the Russian Federation, and ensure in all circumstances that they
are able to carry out their legitimate activities without any
hindrance;
ii. Comply with the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on Human
Rights Defenders, adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998,
especially:
- its Article 1, which states that
“everyone has the right, individually and in association with others,
to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights
and fundamental freedoms at the national and international
levels”,
- and Article 12.2, which provides that
“the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection
by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association
with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure
adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a
consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in
the present Declaration”;
iii. Comply with the provisions of the Declaration of the Committee of
Ministers of the Council of Europe on the protection of human rights
defenders and the promotion of their activities, and in particular With
Article 2.i), in which the Committee calls on member States to “create
an environment conducive to the work of human rights defenders, enabling
individuals, groups and associations to freely carry out activities, on a
legal basis, consistent with international standards, to promote and strive
for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms without any
restrictions other than those authorised by the European Convention on Human
Rights;
iv. More generally, ensure in all circumstances the respect for human
rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights and with international and regional human rights instruments
ratified by the Russian Federation.
Addresses:
• Mr. Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, Ilinka Str,
23, Moscow, 103132, Moscow, Russian Federation. Faxes: + 7 495 606 5173 /
630 2408
•Mr. Ramzan Kadyrov, Head of the Chechen Republic, psprav@mail.ru
• Mr. Yurii Chaika, Prosecutor General, 15 A, Bolshaia Dmitrovka
125993 Moscow, Russian Federation. Fax: +7 495 692 17 25, Email:
prgenproc@gov.ru
• Mr. Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Minister of the Interior, Ulitsa Zhitnaya,
16, 117049 Moscow, Russian Federation. Fax: + 7 495 637 49 25
• Mr. Alexander Konovalov, Minister of Justice, 14, ul. Zhitnaya,
119991 Moscow, Russian Federation. Fax: +7 495 955 59 99. Electronic appeals
via website: http://minjust.ru/electronic-appeal/email
• Mr. Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Smolenskaya-Sennaya
pl, 32/34, 121200 Moscow, Russian Federation. Fax: + 7 495 644 2203
• H.E. Mr. Alexey Borodavkin, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the
Russian Federation to the United Nations in Geneva, Avenue de la Paix 15,
CH-1211, Geneva 20, Switzerland. Fax: +41 22 734 40 44, E-mail:
mission.russian@vtxnet.ch
• Ambassador Mr. Alexander Romanov, Embassy of the Russian Federation
in Brussels, 66, avenue de Fre, Brussels, 1180 Brussels, Belgium. Fax: +32 2
374 26 13. E-mail: amrusbel@skynet.be
• Ambassador Mr. Alexander Alekseev, Permanent Representation of the
Russian Federation to the Council of Europe, 75, allee de la Robertsau,
67000 Strasbourg, France. Fax: (+33) (0) 3 88 24 19 74. Email:
representationpermderussie@wanadoo.fr
Please also write to the diplomatic mission or embassy of the Russian
Federation in your respective country.
***
Geneva-Paris, December 19, 2014
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal
in your reply.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
• E-mail: Appeals@fidh-omct.org
• Tel and fax OMCT + 41 (0) 22 809 49 39 / + 41 22 809 49 29
• Tel and fax FIDH + 33 (0) 1 43 55 25 18 / +33 1 43 55 18 80