Joint Mobile Group Office Ransacked by Mob

UA: 125/15 Index: EUR 46/1802/2015 Russian Federation Date: 3 June 2015 URGENT ACTION JOINT MOBILE GROUP OFFICE RANSACKED BY MOB The office of Joint Mobile Group, a human rights group working in Chechnya, was attacked by a group of masked men in the Chechen capital, Grozny, on 3 June. Two JMG members had to evacuate the office through a window to escape a violent mob.

The Grozny office of Joint Mobile Group (JMG), which has repeatedly been the target of harassment by the authorities and pro-government activists in recent months and years for its courageous human rights work, was surrounded by an angry mob at around 10.30am on 3 June. JMG brings together lawyers and members of non-governmental organizations from other Russian regions who document human rights violations in Chechnya and provide legal aid to the victims. A group of masked men first used metal crowbars to smash JMG's car parked outside, and then forced their way into the building. They broke the door and stormed into the office. Some of them climbed onto the office’s balcony and tried to break the window while the crowd below was cheering them on. Two members of JMG staff, Albert Kuznetsov and Daniil Chendemirov, left through a window on the other side of the building. The attackers ransacked the office and then broke into the apartment, located on the same floor of the building, where JMG staff lived.

Repeated calls to the police made by JMG and by their supporters from outside Chechnya went unanswered. According to eye witnesses, police officers arrived at the scene but did not intervene to stop the attack. The human rights organization Human Rights Center Memorial reported that criminal investigation officials arrived at the scene only at around 12.00pm.

Please write immediately in Russian or your own language:  Expressing concern about the attack on the Grozny office of Joint Mobile Group and the safety of its members;  Urging the authorities to ensure a prompt, full, impartial and effective investigation into the incident, and to bring those responsible to account;  Calling on them to ensure that JMG members are able to carry out their legitimate human rights work without further harassment, fear for their safety and obstruction;  Urging the authorities to honor Russia’s international human rights commitments and stop the smear campaign against human rights defenders in Russia.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 15 JULY 2015 TO: Chairman of the Investigation President of the Russian Federation And copies to: Committee Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin Head of the Investigation Department of Aleksandr Ivanovich Bastrykin ul. Ilyinka, 23 the Investigation Committee for Investigation Committee of the Russian 103132 Moscow Chechen Republic Federation Russian Federation Sergei Vladimirovich Deviatov Tekhnicheskii pereulok, dom 2 Fax: 011 7 495 910 21 34 Ul. Altaiskaia, 3 105005 Moscow, Russian Federation Twitter: @KremlinRussia g.Grozny, Chechen Republic Fax: 011 7 499 265 90 77 @KremlinRussia_E (English) 364000 Russian Federation 011 7 499 265 97 75 Salutation: Dear President Email: [email protected] Twitter: @sledcom_rf Salutation: Dear Chairman of the Investigation Committee

Also send copies to: Ambassador Sergey I. Kislyak, Embassy of the Russian Federation 2650 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington DC 20007 Phone: 1 202 298 5700 I Fax: 1 202 298 5735 I Email: [email protected]

Please let us know if you took action so that we can track our impact! EITHER send a short email to [email protected] with "UA 125/15" in the subject line, and include in the body of the email the number of letters and/or emails you sent, OR fill out this short online form (press Ctrl + click on link) to let us know how you took action. Thank you for taking action! Please check with the AIUSA Urgent Action Office if sending appeals after the above date. URGENT ACTION JOINT MOBILE GROUP OFFICE RANSACKED BY MOB ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The Chechen authorities had announced a meeting for 2 June to protest a “propaganda war against Chechnya and Russia,” waged – according to the Chechen authorities – by human rights defenders but also independent media outlets, such as Novaya Gazeta, Kommersant, radio station Echo of Moscow and the information platform OpenRussia. Kommersant and OpenRussia recently published allegations about severe corruption and nepotism in Chechnya. Novaya Gazeta and Echo of Moscow have regularly reported on human rights violations in Chechnya. The authorities in Chechnya have repeatedly ordered public servants, students and other civilians to join large demonstrations against independent media and human rights defenders. At the last minute, the plans for the meeting on 2 June changed, and a rally took place outside JMG’s office on 3 June instead.

In December 2014, the Grozny office of the Joint Mobile Group was the target of another attack. On 13 December, a public demonstration took place in Grozny during which banners calling JMG members “supporters of terrorism” were displayed. Later that day, the JMG office was destroyed in a fire in a suspected arson attack. The next day, Chechen police entered the apartment rented by JMG in Grozny and, without providing any explanation or a search warrant to the two JMG staff members present, ransacked the building, confiscated mobile phones, several photo cameras, laptop computers, and other electronic equipment. They also conducted body searches of the two JMG staff members and a search of their car. The two members, Sergei Babinets and Dmitry Dimitriev, were held by police for several hours before being released without charge.

Since December, the situation has worsened for independent human rights defenders and journalists who work in Chechnya. Pressure on local journalists and public figures has increased and independent journalists were threatened.

Name: Albert Kuznetsov (m), Daniil Chendemirov (m) and other members of Joint Mobile Group (m/f). Issues: Human rights defenders, Fear for safety, Freedom of expression

UA: 125/15 Issue Date: 3 June 2015 Country: Russian Federation

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