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Memorial Human Rights Centre: Facts and Figures

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Memorial Human Rights Centre: Facts and Figures MEMORIAL Human Rights Centre ANNUAL REPORT 3 4 1 1 0 0 2 2 Этот материал выпущен МОО ПЦ "Мемориал", который внесен в реестр, предусмотренный ст. 13.1.10 ФЗ "Об НКО". Мы обжалуем это решение. Contents Introduction . 3 Memorial Human Rights Centre: Facts and Figures . 4 Memorial Human Rights Centre Board Members . 6 Programmes and projects of the Memorial Human Rights Centre “Hot Spots” Programme . 7 Migration Rights Network . .12 International Legal Mechanisms In Defence of Human Rights (ECHR) . 16 “Support for Political Prisoners” programme . 18 OVD-Info project . 21 Central Asia Programme . 24 Countering Fabrication of Criminal Cases on Islamic Extremism . 25 Memorial Human Rights Centre is not a “foreign agent” . 27 Finances . 28 Этот материал выпущен МОО ПЦ "Мемориал", который внесен в реестр, предусмотренный ст. 13.1.10 ФЗ "Об НКО". Мы обжалуем это решение. Introduction Board Chair of the Human Rights Centre Alexander Cherkasov the number of political prisoners falling by the Foreign Agents Law. Lawyers of the half, at the time of the opening of the Sochi Memorial HRC ECHR programme, led by Olympic Games in the winter of 2014, we Tatyana Kasatkina, drafted this. The lawyers “These have been difficult years”. That could celebrate. However, that trend did not working for the programme assisted NGOs in all too familiar phrase has only now acquired last. Soon came the “Bolotnaya Square” Russian regions in trials related to the its full meaning. In the “nasty 1990s” and the court case and its verdict, and new arrests Foreign Agents Law. In fact, a new NGO “mean 2000s” we worked in a relatively and trials took place. Furthermore, while the coalition came into existence as a result. A stable environment, something we came to scale of protest in Russia was smaller boycott was declared against the Foreign appreciate when, in 2013—2014, we faced compared with that of 2011—2012, the Agents Law. Over the last two years, no civil the authorities' attempts to destroy the “civil prosecution of protesters on administrative organization in Russia has registered volun- sector” or at least make it directly ac- grounds was as high as before. Mass-scale tarily as a “foreign agent”, and this has countable to the authorities. We have failed detentions at meetings, rallies, and pickets prompted the authorities to amend the to realize the Memorial mission, as it was continued; harsh measures, introduced into “law”. Since mid-2014, the authorities have originally formulated — to prevent the legislation, were (ab) used by state agencies. taken it upon themselves to put NGOs on the return of the totalitarian past. This has These developments were monitored and Foreign Agents List. Memorial HRC was manifested itself in the emergence of new analyzed by the OVD-Info project led by included in the list on July 21, 2014. Howe- political prisoners, an unprecedented scale Grigory Okhotin, which was also able to ver, we continue to defend ourselves with all of unjust prosecution, using charges based provide much-needed legal aid to thousands the legal means at our disposal and have no on the Administrative Code, and Russia's of those detained on administrative charges. intention of describing ourselves as “foreign involvement into a new prolonged and large- agents”. It was these programmes that led the scale military conflict. Prosecutor's Office to send Memorial HRC a ***** ***** formal letter (April 30, 2013) classifying our 4. A large organization such as work as “political activity”. Ironically, the 1. Since the launch of the Memorial Memorial HRC finds it extremely difficult to prosecutor's warning could make us proud Human Rights Centre in the early 1990s its survive in a zone of turbulence, but its new because it arrived on the 45th anniversary of work has concentrated primarily on mass- executive director, Natalya Sokolova, who the first ever issue of the dissident Chronicle scale human rights abuses and their took up the post in early 2013 is tackling the of Current Events. The Russian authorities consequences in the so-called “hot spots”. task professionally. On numerous occasions, are today charging Memorial HRC with At that time, the conflicts were taking place the Memorial Society has stated that using allegations similar to those used against the at the periphery of the disintegrating Soviet grants provided by certain sponsors does not Chronicle editors, namely publicizing facts Union. The former USSR republics were able turn us into the donors' “agents”.We are not about political prisoners and extrajudicial to avoid the worse case “Yugoslav” scenario “enemies of the state”, we just remain persecution. involving large-scale standoffs and military independent. With that logic in mind, conflicts between the biggest republics of ***** Memorial HRC participated in the tenders what used to be the Soviet Union. But the for presidential grants, a new programme, 3. Regrettably, a significant part of our worst did happen in 2014, with the an- and was awarded funding for refugee aid efforts had to go into protecting ourselves, nexation of Crimea and the emergence of a and publications. The share of presidential and the Human Rights Centre acted in line new major “hot spot” in the east of Ukraine. funds in the HRC's total budget was not large with, and as part of, the Memorial network The area brought a major inflow of refugees; and thea new grant application was turned as a whole. The so-called Foreign Agents Law the Migration Rights Network programme down after Memorial had been put on the that came into force in November 2012 is led by Svetlana Gannushkina provides aid Foreign Agents List. The bottom line was as below any critics indeed, this evaluation and support to them. As the conflict de- follows: in 2013, Memorial HRC's budget refers to the law in general rather than to veloped, Oleg Orlov of the “Hot Spots” rose to RUB 109 million, while in 2014 it some minor issues relating to certain of its programme organized several missions to dropped to RUB 89 million. We have ex- provisions. It is our duty as a human rights monitor the situation in the region. Impor- perienced serious difficulties with receiving organization to fight its unlawfulness by legal tantly, the conflict did not produce a deep grants from long-time donors. Some of them means. By doing this we defend not only divide between the civil societies of the two decided to leave Russia for good; others ourselves but also the freedom of associa- countries. Indeed, cooperation between were given friendly advice to do the same. tion guaranteed to Russians by the Constitu- Ukrainian and Russian human rights activists And still others said or at least were thinking: tion and Russia's international obligations. increased, and Memorial HRC played an “Now that you have been declared 'foreign active part in the joint efforts. In the spring 2013 officials from the agents', is it a matter of days or months Prosecutor's Office paid a visit to the before your work will be banned? Or maybe ***** Memorial Society offices aimed at conduc- you yourselves are thinking of quitting?” 2. The “totalitarian past” and peculiar ting a “check” on the Society's activities. As Well, we have not stopped and have features of the ancien régime saw a part of that “check” Memorial, organiza- no plans of doing so. We are not sure what to comeback manifested in the use of political tions provided the Prosecutor's Office expect in the coming year, although life is repression, both judicial and extrajudicial, as representatives with copies of some 9,000 certainly not going to become easier. I hope, a means of ruling the country, and pages of documents. Subsequently, an however, that we are prepared for it. systematic pressure on civil organizations official letter from the Prosecutor's Office and activists. But other traditions have arrived, stating that Memorial HRC was to survived as well. The programme “Support register as a “foreign agent”. Memorial Alexander Cherkasov for Political Prisoners” programme led by appealed against that ruling through the Sergei Davidis has monitored political Russian courts and predictably lost the case. Board Chair prosecutions and published lists of political But, prior to that, in February 2013 The Memorial Human Rights Centre prisoners. These efforts may have helped to Memorial International Society and a coaliti- make the issue of political repression an on of ten NGOs lodged an application with important part of the national agenda. With the European Court of Human Rights against Этот материал выпущен МОО ПЦ "Мемориал", который внесен в реестр, предусмотренный ст. 13.1.10 ФЗ "Об НКО". Мы обжалуем это решение. 2013/2014 5 Memorial Human Rights Centre: Facts and Figures The Memorial HRC activities Appraisal of the Situation in the North International Legal Mechanisms include: Caucasus Conflict Zone', produced in in Defense of Human Rights 2013—2014; Programme (ECHR) identifying and documenting human rights abuses; 1 omnibus 2009—2013 edition of Active since 2000, the Programme aims at aiding private individuals, distributing information about hu- the bulletins produced in 2014 lawyers, and NGOs in Russia in man rights abuses; 2,194 consultations provided by litigation at the ECHR; raising the circulating Memorial books and Memorial HRC lawyers over the two professional level of rights defenders / other publications to a targeted reader- years; NGOs who lodge ECHR applications. ship; ECHR cases won by the providing legal aid to victims of 13 cases in courts won by Memo- 16 human rights abuses; rial HRC for North Caucasus residents. programme's lawyers; representing victims of human 5 meetings in the Committee of rights abuses in domestic and inter- Migration Rights Network Ministers of the Council of Europe were national courts; A network to provide legal aid to held with analytical papers on Chech- writing reports, reviews, and other forced migrants, founded in 1996, and nya and extradition cases prepared by analytical papers; presenting those at currently with offices in 41 Russian the programme; cities and towns.
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