On April 8, 2007, during a meeting of the National Anti-Terror Committee (NAC), headed by the Director of the Federal Security Service of Russia (FSB), Mr. Nikolay Patrushev, the latter stated that “NGOs are the main supporters of terrorists” and that “foreign NGOs are helping international terrorists to recruit young people”. He continued by claiming that “emissaries of foreign terrorist and extremist organisations do not limit their activities to the territory of the South Federal Circuit (the North Caucasus)” but “are carrying out recruiting in other parts of Russia taking advantage of social and economic problems, ethnical and religious tensions”. The head of the FSB concluded that “a number of foreign NGOs are providing them with informational support”.
Likewise, Mr. Aleksander Torshin, Vice Speaker of the Russian Federation Council at the State Duma, claimed that “foreign NGOs are often used as venues to recruit terrorists and extremists. What is really worrying is that they are recruiting young people”, while presenting a report at the NAC meeting on the informational counter-acting to terrorism. The senator stated that according to the information that he has at his disposal, “up to a hundred anti-Russian propagandist actions like conferences, marches, seminars are held in such countries as Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Turkey, Baltic states and all Scandinavian states” and that “the official bodies of these countries are using these events to access the situation in the Russian regions”. He also pointed out that the role of the Internet as a tool to advocate for terror had increased, and that there were 59 foreign NGOs that have been supporting Chechen terrorists. Mr. Torshin then called on working out criteria to identify such webpages, to monitor their operation at both internal and international level as well as developing mechanisms of blocking their work.
To that extent, the Observatory recalls that in August 2007, the FSB of Ingushetia initiated a process of non planned check of the regional civil movement “Chechen Committee of National Salvation”, which was conducted by the Ingushetia branch of the State Registration Bureau under the suspicion of being financed by foreign extremist groups. The Chechen Committee of National Salvation filed a complaint against this extraordinary checking. On April 1, 2008, during the hearing of the Regional Nazran Court, a letter of the Ingushetia FSB Chief Igor Bonderev, dated August 4, 2007, which stated that “the Chechen Committee of National Salvation receives funds from international structures and therefore one cannot exclude the possibility that theses funds come from foreign extremist organisations” was read out loud.
The Observatory reiterates its deepest concern regarding the statements made by Messrs. Nikolay Patrushev and Aleksander Torshin, which are further evidence of the determination of the Russian authorities to hinder the activities of human rights defenders themselves.
The Observatory, recalling that the Russian Federation was elected to the Human Rights Council in June 2006 for three years and is committed, in this regard, to “uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights”, urges the Russian authorities to put an end to all acts of harassment against the above-mentioned journalists, the Nizhny Novgorod Foundation to Support Tolerance as well as all human rights defenders in the Russian Federation.
The Observatory also recalls that as a participating State of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Russian Federation acknowledges that “the [1998] UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders [... places] a responsibility [...] on states to adopt and implement adequate legislation and administrative procedures that would provide for a conducive environment for human rights defenders to promote and strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”, and recognises “the need for particular attention, support and protection for human rights defenders by the OSCE, its Institutions and field operations, as well as by participating States” [1].
Accordingly, the Observatory calls upon the Russian authorities to conform in any circumstances with international and regional human rights standards and instruments ratified by the Federation, including with the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 9, 1998, in particular 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”, as well as its Article 12.2, which provides that “the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually or 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”.
For further information, please contact:
OMCT : Delphine Reculeau, + 41 22 809 49 39
FIDH : Gael Grilhot, + 33 1 43 55 25 18