Russia: A year on, Putin’s ‘foreign agents law’ choking freedom
20 November 2013
A restrictive "foreign agents law" adopted a year ago is choking independent non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Russia, Amnesty International said today.
"One year after came into force, the record of the foreign agents law is a grim one. More than a thousand NGOs have been inspected and dozens have received warnings. Several of the most prominent human rights groups have been fined and some forced to close," said John Dalhuisen, Europe and Central Asia Director at Amnesty International.
The "foreign agents law" is at the centre of a raft of repressive legislation that has been brought in since Putin’s return to the presidency.
Enacted by the Russian authorities on 21 November 2012, it requires any NGO receiving foreign funding and engaging in what it defines very loosely as "political activity" to register as an "organization performing the functions of a foreign agent".
It has a wide reach affecting NGOs working on civil and political, social and economic rights, as well as environmental issues and discrimination, including against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people.
As the Winter Olympic Games to be held in the Russian city of Sochi approach, Amnesty International's members and supporters from around the world are campaigning to highlight Russia’s increasingly deplorable human rights record.
"The 'foreign agents law' was designed to stigmatise and discredit NGOs engaged in human rights, election monitoring and other critical work. It is providing a perfect pretext for fining and closing critical organisations and will cut often vital funding streams," said John Dalhuisen.
Russian NGOs have unanimously and vocally refused to be branded "foreign agents". The unannounced mass "inspections" of some 1,000 organizations during the spring and autumn of 2013 were widely publicized by media aligned with the Russian authorities.
The "inspections" were followed by persecution of several NGOs and their leaders through administrative proceedings and the courts, and more cases are expected to follow.
The team of election watchdog Golos ("Voice") decided to disband their organization after the law was used to impose hefty fines on them and suspend their work for several months. They tried in vain to challenge the punitive measure in court before giving up.
The Kostroma Centre for Support of Public Initiatives suffered the same fate and closed because it could not pay the huge fine imposed on it.
The LGBTI film festival Bok o Bok ("Side by side") paid the fine and closed down. It had officially ceased to exist by the time it won its appeal and could no longer claim the money back.
This week alone, five Moscow-based NGOs, Memorial, Public Verdict, "For Human Rights" movement, Jurix and Golos, were in court trying to fend off the pressure exerted on them by the authorities’ under the so-called "foreign agents law". Court hearings on their cases have been postponed; numerous other NGOs across Russia have been in court since April for the same reason.
Since the "foreign agents law" came into being:
• At least 10 NGOs have been taken to court by the Russian authorities for failing to register as an "organization performing the functions of a foreign agent".
• At least five other NGOs across Russia have been taken to court following the "inspections" for purported administrative violations such as the failure to present requested documents.
• At least 10 Russian NGO leaders have been ordered to comply with the "foreign agents law".
• And at least 37 NGOs have been officially warned that they will be in violation of the law if they continue to receive foreign funding and engage in arbitrarily defined "political activities". This includes publishing online materials on human rights in Russia and not registering as "foreign agents".
Russian NGO leaders have told Amnesty International about their frustrations with the law.
The rights group "Alliance of Women of the Don" advises local people on issues affecting their everyday lives – family, labour, housing, pensions. The organisation is facing a court case next week for refusing to register as a "foreign agent".
"We have nothing to be ashamed of and we have nothing to feel guilty for. We are proud of our work. The closure of our organization will affect so many people," said Valentina Cherevatenko, leader of the Alliance.
Lev Ponomaryov, leader of the Russia-wide movement "For Human Rights" told Amnesty International: "If we have to close down, thousands of people across Russia will suffer. If other NGOs are forced to close down – tens of thousands will suffer. Civil society will be doomed."
"The ‘foreign agents law’ violates Russia’s national and international obligations to safeguard the rights to freedom of association, assembly and expression. It should be repealed immediately," said John Dalhuisen.
A restrictive "foreign agents law" adopted a year ago is choking independent non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Russia, Amnesty International said as the Winter Olympic Games to be held in the Russian city of Sochi approach. Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
At least 10 NGOs have been taken to court by the Russian authorities for failing to register as an “organization performing the functions of a foreign agent”.
At least five other NGOs across Russia have been taken to court following the “inspections” for purported administrative violations such as the failure to present requested documents.
At least 10 Russian NGO leaders have been ordered to comply with the “foreign agents law”.
And at least 37 NGOs have been officially warned that they will be in violation of the law if they continue to receive foreign funding and engage in arbitrarily defined “political activities”. This includes publishing online materials on human rights in Russia and not registering as “foreign agents”.
Afghanistan: Reject stoning, flogging, amputation and other Taliban-era punishments
26 November 2013
Afghanistan’s proposed reinstatement of atrocious punishments would mark a dangerous return to legalized state brutality, Amnesty International said today as it urged the authorities to reject such plans.
Public stoning to death, amputation of limbs and flogging are among the brutal punishments being put forward as draft amendments to the Afghan Penal Code.
“Stoning and amputation are always torture, and so is flogging as practised in Afghanistan. All these forms of punishment are strictly prohibited under international human rights treaties which are binding on Afghanistan,” said Horia Mosadiq, Afghanistan Researcher at Amnesty International.
Some of these punishments are also proposed for acts which should never be criminalized in the first place, including consensual sexual relations between adults, and choosing one’s religion.
“When Afghanistan left behind such punishments with the ousting of the Taliban over a decade ago, it was a beacon of hope for gradual human rights reform in the country,” said Horia Mosadiq.
“That the Afghan authorities are even considering a return to such practices is unacceptable. It would be a betrayal of the Afghan people and a setback to the government’s commitment to improving and monitoring human rights.”
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Justice and the Ministerial Committee of Shari’a and Traditional Penalty and Investigating Crimes recently proposed at least 26 amendments to the country’s Penal Code.
The changes include the reinstatement of punishments dating to the Taliban era and reflecting their interpretation of Shari’a law. Among them are public stoning to death for “adultery” by married people, amputation of hands and feet for theft and robbery, and flogging of up to 100 lashes for unmarried people found guilty of “adultery”.
International law prohibits all forms of cruel, inhuman, degrading and torturous punishments. Amnesty International also opposes the death penalty – the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment – under any circumstances and regardless of the method of execution.
Amnesty International calls on the Afghan parliament to flatly reject the draft amendments, abolish all forms of corporal punishment, and immediately establish a formal moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty. It should also ensure that the Penal Code refrains from criminalizing behaviour such as consensual sexual relations between adults and choosing one’s own religion.
Afghanistan’s proposed reinstatement of atrocious punishments would mark a dangerous return to legalized state brutality, Amnesty International said today as it urged the authorities to reject such plans.
Russia applies sinister new tactic to tar civil society as 'foreign agents'
28 November 2013
A Russian court has for the first time ordered a non-governmental organization to register as a "foreign agent" under a sinister law that is being used to crush independent civil society in the country, Amnesty International said.
On 27 November, following an application by the prosecutor, the court in the city of Saratov ordered that the Centre for Social Policy and Gender Studies should register as "an organization performing the functions of a foreign agent".
"The Russian authorities are using this sinister new tactic to impose the draconian 'foreign agents law' on independent civil society organizations nationwide," said John Dalhuisen, Director for Europe and Central Asia programme at Amnesty International.
"The law hearkens back to the repression of the Soviet era and its sole purpose is to smear and muzzle independent civil society voices in Russia, making their work impossible."
After enacting the law a year ago, the Russian authorities unleashed a mass campaign of "inspections" of independent NGOs which receive any funding from donors abroad and engage in vaguely defined "political activities". Since then, several NGOs have been issued with extortionate fines for failing to register as "foreign agents", and at least three have been forced to close down.
However, in a number of cases across the country, judges have ruled in favour of NGOs when they challenged requests to register as "foreign agents". The Saratov case marks the first time a Prosecutor's Office has successfully employed a new tactic which consists in securing a court order to force the NGO to register as a "foreign agent".
"Even under Russia's flawed justice system, Prosecutors' Offices have failed to impose the absurd 'foreign agents law' uniformly. Now they are trying a new tactic, and this new court decision sets a dangerous precedent," said Dalhuisen.
A Russian court has for the first time ordered a non-governmental organization to register as a "foreign agent" under a sinister law that is being used to crush independent civil society in the country.
The violent dispersal of demonstrators on Independence Square (Maidan) in the centre of Kyiv on Saturday morning shows a shameful disregard for the right to peacefully protest said Amnesty International.
The organization is calling for a prompt, effective and independent investigation into allegations of abusive use of force by officers from the Berkut riot police force.
“In choosing to violently disperse the demonstration early this morning the Ukrainian authorities are violating the very standards and values towards which they claim to be aspiring,” said Heather McGill, Amnesty International Researcher on Ukraine .
Shortly before 4am on 30 November riot police moved in on demonstrators in large numbers. They were preceded by local authority workers in trucks who were bringing equipment to erect the traditional New Year tree in the square. A Ministry of Interior spokesperson speaking on Channel 5 TV station justified the dispersal of demonstrators claiming that preparation had to be made for the New Year festivities.
“International human rights standards allow restrictions to the right to freedom of assembly only in cases of 'pressing social need'. The erection of a New Year tree cannot be considered a valid reason to limit the right to freedom of assembly,” said McGill.
According to eyewitnesses interviewed by Amnesty International, Berkut officers first told the demonstrators to disperse because the demonstration was “illegal”, then started to beat those that remained. Video footage shows Berkut officers beating protestors and in some cases pursuing men and women in order to beat them. About 35 people have so far been charged with hooliganism under the Administrative Code and dozens of people are being treated for their injuries.
Vasyl Panchenko, an architect from Kyiv, told Amnesty International what happened to him: “I saw them beating people - they were beating people as they fell to the ground. They pushed me to the ground – I saw three of them [riot police]. They beat me and a couple who were near me. Then they picked us up and told us to go away.”
Vasyl later helped awoman who had been beaten to seek medical attention and they were beaten again as they looked for an ambulance. Vasyl Panchenko has been charged with the administrative offence of hooliganism for preventing the erection of the New Year tree. He has complained about the police ill-treatment. “Here in Ukraine wedon’t expect to get compensation, but I want them to find the men who are guilty.”
Vasyl Katola, a dentist described how previously good relations with Berkut forces suddenly changed for the worse on Saturday morning: “There were Berkut officers at the demonstration every night and they were nice to us, they even drank tea with us. Yesterday there was a confrontation when Berkut officers surrounded an illegally parked car – a girl dropped her scarf and they even picked it up for her! Those that came this morning were very aggressive, and I was afraid.”
On Saturday afternoon Prime Minister Azarov told the nation that he was deeply upset and concerned about what had happened during the night on the square. The Head of the Kyiv City Police took responsibility for deploying Berkut forces, but said that the violence was the result of provocation.
These explanations by the authorities are unconvincing. Video footage shows no evidence of any provocation by protesters, and in any case it would appear that the order to disperse the demonstration was given before any provocation had taken place.
It is clear that someone decided that enough was enough and the protests had to end. There can be no justification for the dispersal and nothing can excuse the violence that was used.
Amnesty International calls on the Ukrainian authorities to live up to their human rights obligations and protect the right to peaceful assembly. They must conduct an enquiry into the reasons why the order to disperse was given and ensure that each and every allegation of abusive use of force is investigated.
The violent dispersal of demonstrators on Independence Square (Maidan) in the centre of Kyiv on Saturday morning shows a shameful disregard for the right to peacefully protest said Amnesty International.
Every year, around Human Rights Day on 10 December, hundreds of thousands of people around the world send a message to someone they’ve never met. It’s a classic Amnesty technique: 52 years of human rights work show that words really do have the power to change lives.
Last year, activists in at least 77 countries took a record-breaking 1.9 million actions during our annual letter-writing event. Millions more have taken part since Write for Rights became a global Amnesty event in 2002.
Mighty oaks from small acorns grow, somebody wise once said. Today, Write for Rights – also known as the Letter Writing Marathon – is the world’s largest human rights event. It started small 12 years ago, when a boy met a girl with a bright idea at a festival in Poland. Grzegorz Zukowski, from Amnesty Poland tells us what happened.
“A local Amnesty group co-ordinator in Warsaw, Witek Hebanowski, was organizing an event at a festival,” Grzegorz explains. “A girl called Joanna came up to him. She’d just been to Africa, where she said they organized 24-hour events, writing protest letters to governments.”
“Witek really wanted to see her again, so he asked her to come along to his local Amnesty group meeting. They decided to write Urgent Action appeals for 24 hours from 12 noon on Saturday, and then count how many letters they’d written.”
“They emailed their idea to all the other Polish groups, and it turned into something much bigger, bringing together activists across the country,” explains Grzegorz. Then, their idea went viral.
“They emailed Amnesty offices across the world,” he continues. “People started sending back pictures of themselves writing letters − by Niagara Falls, in Japan, in Mongolia. It was a spontaneous, grassroots initiative that grew and grew.”
Every December since, Write for Rights – now the marathon’s official name – has inspired thousands of people to write letters to distant governments on behalf of people they’ve never met.
It is a huge event for Amnesty offices worldwide. Some still do it Polish-style, over a hectic, sleepless 24 hours. Many prefer a more gentle marathon, run over several days and weeks, allowing people to write letters when it fits their schedule.
Amnesty Poland still does the classic 24-hour marathon – now described as the country’s biggest human rights event. “Any place in which the marathon takes place should be open all night,” says Grzegorz. Publicity is key: “We try to get well-known people involved” says Grzegorz.”
And it still has real grassroots appeal: “The main power behind the marathon are the local communities and groups,” Grzegorz says. “The school groups write more letters than anyone else. Our record is held by Bircza, a small town with only 1,000 inhabitants. In 2011, they wrote 13,000 letters.”
“I think Write for Rights has such a strong appeal because it is so simple and so engaging,” Grzegorz continues. “The stories of the people they are writing to, or for, are very important. Many would never hear these stories otherwise – they just aren’t interested. But once a year they have an opportunity to open their minds to what’s going on in the world."
Every year, around Human Rights Day on 10 December, hundreds of thousands of people around the world send a message to someone they’ve never met.Here's how they do it.
'I did not feel alone, I knew people believed in me'
05 December 2013
Azerbaijani youth activist Jabbar Savalan could hardly believe his eyes the first time guards at the prison brought him a bag full of letters.
They mostly came from people he had never met before, from countries he had never visited.
They were all telling him to keep strong and that they were putting pressure on authorities in Azerbaijan to release him.
“I received over four thousand letters. They came from places like Germany, the USA, Japan and Australia. The letters gave me a lot of strength. Amnesty International’s support also earned me a lot of respect from other inmates and guards in prison who knew that I was arrested solely for expressing my views,” he said.
He had been arrested in February 2011, accused of drug possession. The arrest came a day after he posted a message on Facebook calling for Egypt-inspired protests against the government.
The conviction was largely based on a confession extracted under duress while he was denied access to a lawyer.
When Amnesty International heard of the story, it included it as one of ten cases featured in a global letter writing marathon where men, women and children across the world spent days writing to authorities across the world to protect their human rights.
“I especially remember a few letters from Germany and USA which contained photos of supporters holding my picture. It was very humbling to see people from all over the world go through so much effort,” he said.
Jabbar received a presidential pardon a few weeks after Amnesty International’s campaign ended and was eventually freed from prison in late 2011.
The power of a letter Since the campaign was launched 12 years ago in a small town in Poland, “Write for Rights” has grown to become one of the world’s largest human rights events.
Through public events and online actions, hundreds of thousands of people get together every year around 10 December, Human Rights day, to campaign on behalf of others.
In 2012 alone, more than half a million people in 77 countries across the globe took part, gathering 1.9 million signatures on behalf of 12 individuals. More are expected to join in this year.
From the very start, Write for Rights has helped shine a light on the suffering of thousands across the world and has made a difference in the lives of many.
In China, human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng received his first family visit in nine months after pressure from Amnesty International members last year.
In 2011, the Mexican authorities gave in to public calls and formally recognized their responsibility for the rape and abuse of two indigenous women by Mexican soldiers in 2002.
For others, the pressure letters placed on the authorities got them out of jail.
Gambian opposition leader Femi Peters knows exactly what that feels like.
‘I will continue to fight’ Femi was released from prison on 10 December 2010, after serving most of his 12-month sentence for charges relating to a peaceful demonstration organized by his party in October 2009.
Femi, campaign manager of the United Democratic Party, had been charged with “control of procession and using loud speakers in public”. He didn't have permission from the Office of the Inspector General of Police, as required under the Public Order Act. He was sentenced, in April 2010, to one year in prison and fined D10,000 (USD 260).
While in prison, Femi received copies of hundreds of letters Amnesty International members had written to Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, calling for his release.
“I was told that 24,000 letters where written on my behalf. From people in the US, Germany, France, Holland, parts of Latin America and even Japan. It made me realize that the whole world was behind me,” he said.
“I will continue to fight for good governance and democracy and the rule of law wherever I am. I would tell people to be determined and defiant and keep the struggle going. People should know that there is an organization like Amnesty International who is standing up for the truth on behalf of prisoners who deserve better. They should stand for what they believe in,” said Femi.
Jabbar says the support he received while in prison is what helped him through the most difficult times.
“The support I received was so great that I did not feel like I was imprisoned. I did not feel alone, I knew that people believed in me,” he said.
From the very start, Write for Rights has helped shine a light on the suffering of thousands across the world and has made a difference in the lives of many. Read some of the best stories here.
Ihar Tsikhanyuk is an openly gay man from Belarus who works as a drag artist. When he tried to set up a gay rights organization, the police beat him up. When he complained, they threatened to kill him.
Ihar wants justice for what happened, and the freedom to be himself without worrying about the consequences. He shared his story with Amnesty International.
‘While they get ready, I will die’ “When I see injustice, I start to fight it. I was raised like that – injustice equals horror for me.
“I went to a clothes shop in Minsk [the capital of Belarus] in August, holding hands with a boy. The manager kicked me out and they swore at us. I came back the next day and complained, and they apologised and said it wouldn’t happen again. I managed to convince them that they were wrong. That’s what standing up for your rights is. I didn’t steal anything and I didn’t kill anyone, I was just holding hands with my boyfriend.
“A boy and a girl can hold hands, so why can’t we? I don’t care what they think. I can’t sit and wait until they are ready. While they get ready, I will die. There’s only one life and we should live it as best we can.”
Being gay in Belarus “The media here portrays gays and lesbians as sick and crazy people, fools and savages. The President says our country isn’t ready to accept people like us, and that he isn’t ashamed of that. People see the President’s attitude and think the same.
“I am an openly gay man. I’m not embarrassed and I don’t hide it – I try to show that it’s normal. I dress like a woman when I perform as a drag artist in clubs. But it’s very difficult. You have to be prepared for negative situations all the time, attacks by young people, relatives, the political authorities.
“It’s normal for gay people in Belarus to hide their lives. If they’ve been beaten up or fired, they don’t know how to complain to the authorities. Many of my friends turn to me and ask for help.
“The LGBTI [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex] community here used to be very united. But government policy has become very homophobic recently – gay clubs have been shut down, it’s impossible to organize events, meetings, parties – so people have started to lose touch with each other.”
Kicked out of church “I am an Orthodox Christian. I used to like going to a monastery in Hrodna [in north-western Belarus] and knew an abbess there. Then I went to gay pride in Moscow in 2009, I gave a lot of interviews. The next time I went to Hrodna, the abbess kicked me out of church during the service in front of the whole parish. She pointed at me and said that ‘this boy, Ihar, he's gay, he likes men’. She told the congregation to spit at people like me, and to expel me if I came again, because I spoiled the reputation of the church.
“My mum is very conservative and religious, so when she saw me hugging and kissing a boy in my room one day she was shocked. She didn’t talk to me for about a month, and then she said she would take me to see a priest to confess, because I had a demon sitting inside me.
“Then I finished school and left home, and it calmed down. Nowadays she supports me, and even asks about my personal life and tells me to be careful with my health.”
Dragged from hospital “We tried to set up Lambda, a human rights organization that protects LGBTI people, in December 2012. The government started to fight us after we applied to the Ministry of Justice with enough signatures to register it [as required by law]. The police called the founding members in for questioning, asking why we had signed the application and pressurized us to write letters denouncing it.
“I was having hospital treatment for a stomach ulcer at the time. The police came to the hospital and dragged me to their car. They asked what I had been doing in Minsk with other gays. I refused to talk to them, so they started to punch my head and chest. They told me not to go to Minsk anymore and to not get involved with the organization.”
‘Everyone is equal in the Republic of Belarus’ After the attack, my family became scared of being attacked. I told them I’d protect them. Some of my friends expressed support and understanding, but others said I shouldn’t complain or I’d have more problems and could be killed.
“I wrote a complaint, and when I told the police officers they said: ‘Boy, aren’t you worried that you’ll end up with nine grams [a bullet] in your forehead?’. I couldn’t believe that they’d openly say that to me.
“I still feel humiliated and empty, because there’s nothing I can do. We don’t have enough ways to fight, or good enough legislation to protect LGBTI people in Belarus.
“It will mean a lot for us to get support from Amnesty’s Write for Rights campaign. LGBTI people will feel braver and more hopeful. It will show that everyone is equal in the Republic of Belarus.”
Ihar Tsikhanyuk is an openly gay man from Belarus who works as a drag artist. When he tried to set up a gay rights organization, the police beat him up. When he complained, they threatened to kill him.
Three men arrested in Moscow’s Bolotnaya Square have come to symbolize President Putin’s recent crackdown on peaceful political protest.
Tens of thousands of protesters took to Moscow’s streets the day before Vladimir Putin’s third inauguration as Russia’s President, on 6 May 2012.
They planned to walk through the city centre to an opposition rally at Bolotnaya Square, near the Kremlin. The local authorities had given the go-ahead to both the march and the meeting.
At the last minute, the police blocked one of two agreed entrances to the square, creating a bottleneck. As protesters approached the police line, pressure and tension grew. The protesters finally pushed through the police line and clashes broke out.
Hundreds of people were arrested across Moscow on that day, and 13 are currently standing trial. Among them are Vladimir Akimenkov, Artiom Saviolov and Mikhail Kosenko. The men didn’t know each other before, but their stories have since followed a similar path.
Released on 7 May, they were rearrested in June and have been detained ever since. All three were charged with participating in “mass riots”. Artiom Saviolov and Mikhail Kosenko were also accused of violence against police officers.
Amnesty considers all three to be prisoners of conscience.
Mikhail Kosenko says he was in the front row of protesters when a police officer was violently attacked and fell on him. Mikhail then pushed the police officer away, without using violence. This is consistent with video footage. The authorities still accuse him of beating and kicking the officer, who later said that he had never seen Mikhail before.
Mikhail is mentally ill and very vulnerable. His condition is thought to have worsened drastically, and he isn’t receiving the medication he needs. He was recently denied permission to attend his mother’s funeral.
In October, a Moscow court ordered Mikhail to receive forcible psychiatric treatment, even though he was successfully treated as an outpatient for a decade. He could be deprived of his freedom indefinitely. He doesn’t belong to any political party or group and has never been accused of violence in the past.
Vladimir Akimenkov is an activist with the opposition Left Front movement. He was arrested minutes after protesters breached the police line. He thinks he was detained because he is well-known to the police as a political activist. Video footage clearly shows that he stayed in front of the police line, without breaching it and without using violence.
The only evidence against him seems to be a police officer’s allegation that Vladimir threw a flag pole that hit another officer. This initially vague testimony changed substantially six months later, becoming much more detailed than the original version.
Vladimir had a serious eye condition before he was arrested, which has since deteriorated. His lawyer and family are deeply concerned about his prison conditions, and are afraid that he might soon go blind.
Artiom Saviolov was detained immediately after the first police line was breached. He claims that he was pushed through it, and video footage seems to corroborate this.
He is charged with using force to prevent a police officer from detaining another protester, and shouting “down with the police state”. He firmly denies both accusations, saying that he actively tried to avoid any contact with the police. As he has a serious speech impediment, it is difficult for him to speak, let alone shout slogans.
Artiom doesn’t belong to any political party or group. He simply came to Bolotnaya Square, along with thousands of others, to participate in an authorised protest against Russia’s controversial presidential election results.
Three men arrested in Moscow’s Bolotnaya Square in 2012 have come to symbolize President Putin’s recent crackdown on peaceful political protest. They are still waiting to be released.
It would be easy to forgive Bimbo Osobe if she had given up and felt she couldn’t go on. She was among thousands who watched helplessly as their homes and shops were demolished during a state-authorized forced eviction in Badia East, Lagos, Nigeria, on 23 February 2013.
When Amnesty International first spoke with her in May, she was sleeping out in the open under a net and recovering from malaria. Her livelihood gone, she was completely dependent on friends or well-wishers for food and clothing.
She sent her children away to live with relatives, wanting to spare them the hardship and stress she was going through.
But Bimbo doesn’t want to be a victim – she wants justice. And when we met her again in August she had already begun to transform her own and her community’s situation through her activism.
Thanks to a sympathetic resident, Bimbo found a place to live in a part of Badia East that escaped the bulldozers. She is helping other residents find adequate alternative housing and get compensation. She is still separated from her children, but manages to send them schoolbooks bought with money she receives from supporters.
At Amnesty International's August launch of a report on Badia East, Bimbo led the community in singing solidarity and motivational songs. She also acted as interpreter during a housing rights workshop, and spoke passionately to community members.
At a round table discussion about the right to adequate housing in Lagos state, Bimbo urged the authorities to resettle and compensate people affected.
Amnesty International is campaigning to end forced evictions in Badia East, and for all those affected to receive compensation and other protection. But the community remains at risk: the state government has indicated that it intends to demolish the whole community in two further mass evictions.
International solidarity will go a long way in helping the people of Badia East to continue their fight for adequate housing. Bimbo said: “We thank Amnesty International for supporting us after the demolition, and we want you to continue to support us and help to fight for our right.”
She and the other activists plan to display any solidarity cards they receive in the Better Life Community Centre where they meet.
Bimbo Osobe was among thousands who were forced out of their homes in Badia East, Lagos, Nigeria, on 23 February 2013. But she is fighting back.
Turkmenistan’s authorities have simply paid lip service to reform in a bid to appease the international community said Amnesty International in the run up to parliamentary elections this weekend (15 December).
“Holding these elections will not address the atmosphere of total repression, denial of the basic human rights, and the all-permeating fear that has gripped society in Turkmenistan for years, and all pretence of progress on human rights is simply deceitful,” John Dalhuisen, Europe and Central Asia Programme Director at Amnesty International.
In 2012, the authorities in the strategically placed oil and gas rich country pushed through reforms which they claimed would lead to the establishment of a second political party. It also allowed, in theory, for an independent media.
“Recent reforms amount to no more than token gestures designed to distract the international community. Eager foreign investors should not be fooled by these moves or use them to justify uncritical engagement.” said John Dalhuisen.
“There is still no genuine opposition party, no independent media and not a single independent human rights organization operating freely inside the country.”
Amnesty International’s report,Turkmenistan: An “Era of Happiness” or more of the same repression?, provides an overview of human rights violations in this closed and tightly controlled country. Independent observers are barred from Turkmenistan, and information from inside is brutally suppressed. The climate of fear extending far beyond Turkmenistan’s borders.
“The systematic harassment of any kind of opposition or dissent, the persistent reports of torture in places of detention, the widespread denial of the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly continue unabated. The natural resources and the strategic geographic location of Turkmenistan should not blind its partners to the real situation,” said John Dalhuisen.
Climate of fear Turkmenistani sources have told Amnesty International that people avoid socialising for fear of a misplaced word. All individuals are expected to report any criticism of the state to the authorities and conversations about politics simply do not take place openly. People expressing views that differ from the government’s are treated as enemies of the state.
There is near total control of communications and information. The Turkmenistani authorities have reportedly invested heavily in monitoring internet and telephone communications.
More than 37,000 people -- dissidents, members of religious communities and their families -- are reported to be blacklisted and barred from leaving Turkmenistan even for life-saving medical treatment. Amnesty International is among a number of human rights organizations barred from entering the country.
Torture and imprisonment Torture is widely used in Turkmenistan to elicit confessions and secure convictions in unfair trials. Methods of torture reported to Amnesty International include: pushing needles under fingernails; electric shocks; asphyxiation; systematic sexual violence; forcibly administering psychotropic drugs; beating with batons, truncheons, or plastic bottles filled with water; punching; kicking; food and drink deprivation; and exposure to extreme cold. There have been no effective independent investigations into any allegations of torture.
Prisoners serving life sentences are reportedly kept in shackles for lengthy periods of time and beaten regularly. Cells in one high security prison in Turkmenistan were reportedly built with a maximum height of 1.5 meters in order to prevent detainees from standing upright. All communication with families is barred, and people behind bars are effectively “disappeared” from the outside world.
No political opposition The 2012 Law on Political Parties provides no real challenge to the ruling Democratic party. The new Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs should be viewed as the government’s ally rather than as a contender to power: A portrait of President Berdymukhamedov looked over their first party meeting. In 2012 the Economist Democracy Index ranked Turkmenistan joint 161st with Uzbekistan, of a total of 167 countries.
No independent media The new law on mass media has not created space for genuinely independent media. The few independent reporters still working in the country face regular harassment.
RFE/RL correspondents in Turkmenistan are singled out for harassment by the security services and repeatedly imprisoned. The death in custody of RFE/RL journalist Ogulsapar Muradova in 2006 has never been investigated. Her relatives reported seeing her body with a head injury and marks around her neck, as well as bruises and cuts on her hands. In its Press Freedom Index 2013, Reporters without Borders ranks Turkmenistan as 177th out of 179 countries.
“This overview of human rights violations in Turkmenistan is the very tip of the iceberg and the picture it paints is miles away from the ‘Era of Might and Happiness’ under President Gurbandguly Berdymukhamedov’s leadership as declared by state media,” said John Dalhuisen.
“It is crucial that the international community keeps political and civil liberties and widespread violations of human rights firmly on the agenda in its discussions with the Turkmenistani authorities.”
Turkmenistan’s authorities have simply paid lip service to reform in a bid to appease the international community said Amnesty International in the run up to parliamentary elections this weekend.
The Russian Constitution 20 years on: Continuing erosion of rights and freedoms
12 December 2013
On 12 December Russia will mark the 20th anniversary of the country’s constitution following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The Constitution proclaims the rule of law and guarantees fundamental human rights to Russian people. The responsibility to safeguard these constitutional rights falls to the President of the Russian Federation.
However, Vladimir Putin’s current presidency has led an onslaught against civil and political rights and other freedoms in Russia. This amounts to an erosion of the Constitution itself, as Amnesty International’s analysis below sets out:
The Russian Constitution:
Recently adopted legislation violating the Russian Constitution and its effect:
Article 19 1. All people shall be equal before the law and court. 2. The State shall guarantee the equality of rights and freedoms of man and citizen, regardless of sex, race, nationality, language, origin, property and official status, place of residence, religion, convictions, membership of public associations, and also of other circumstances. All forms of limitations of human rights on social, racial, national, linguistic or religious grounds shall be banned.
A law targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual or intersex (LGBTI) individuals came into force on 30 June 2013.
It imposes extortionate fines on those accused of engaging in “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations”. The law further increases the discrimination and harassment against LGBTI people and effectively denies young people the right to sex education. It has served as a legal basis for denying the LGBTI community’s right to hold any public events.
Article 28 Everyone shall be guaranteed the freedom of conscience, the freedom of religion, including the right to profess individually or together with other any religion or to profess no religion at all, to freely choose, possess and disseminate religious and other views and act according to them.
Article 29 1. Everyone shall be guaranteed the freedom of ideas and speech.
A new law criminalizing blasphemy came into effect on 1 July 2013.
It envisages heavy fines and up to three years of imprisonment for public actions that may be deemed as disrespectful or insulting to the religious beliefs of others.
This law was proposed in the aftermath of the 2012 trial and conviction of three members of the all-female Russian punk group Pussy Riot for “hooliganism on grounds of religious hatred” after they sang a protest song in Moscow’s main Orthodox cathedral. It has paved the way for criminal prosecution for criticism of religious leaders or commentary on religious doctrine and tenets of faith in a way that is clearly inconsistent with the freedom of expression.
Amnesty International believes the trial of Pussy Riot members was politically motivated. The organization considers the imprisoned activists to be prisoners of conscience, detained solely for the peaceful expression of their beliefs.
Article 30 1. Everyone shall have the right to association, including the right to create trade unions for the protection of his or her interests. The freedom of activity of public association shall be guaranteed.
The Federal Law “On Introducing Changes to Certain Pieces of Legislation of the Russian Federation as Regards Regulation of Activities of Non-Commercial Organizations Performing the Functions of Foreign Agents” came into effect on 21 November 2012.
This so-called “foreign agents law” imposes a legal obligation on Russian non-governmental organizations which receive foreign aid in any form and engage in what the law loosely defines as “political activities” to register as “organizations performing the functions of foreign agents”. In Russian, the expression “foreign agents” is akin to spying, and is yet another step in the on-going smear campaign against human rights and other independent civil society organizations.
The law introduced hefty fines and other severe administrative penalties for the violation of the above legal requirement; its repeated violation envisages criminal prosecution, including imprisonment, for NGO leaders.
Article 31 Citizens of the Russian Federation shall have the right to assemble peacefully, without weapons, hold rallies, meetings and demonstrations, marches and pickets.
A law which came into effect on 8 June 2012 hiked up fines 150-fold for protesters taking part in unsanctioned rallies. Organizers of public meetings face hefty fines if participants cause disorder or damage.
Hundreds of people were detained following mass protests in May 2012 in Bolotnaya Square in Moscow over contested parliamentary and presidential elections in 2011 and 2012. Twelve people are on trial and several others are still awaiting trial or appeal hearing in this case. Amnesty International considers 10 of them to be prisoners of conscience arrested for their right to express their views, and calls for their immediate and unconditional release.
Mikhail Kosenko, one of the 10 prisoners of conscience from the Bolotnaya case, was sentenced to forcible incarceration in a psychiatric unit in a move smacking of the worst excesses of the Soviet era.
A rundown of restrictions on human rights in Russia as the country marks the 20th anniversary of its post-Soviet Constitution.
