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Stifling dissent: CIVICUS condemns closure of Russian human rights group

13 October 2006 - CIVICUS condemned today’s closure of the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society (RCFS), a prominent human rights organisation based in Russia. CIVICUS fears that this is a chilling example of how the recently introduced law affecting NGOs can be used to restrict freedom of association.

“Is this part of a wave of attempts to silence dissenting voices in Russia?” asked Clare Doube, Manager of CIVICUS’ Civil Society Watch programme. “The regular harassment against members of the organisation, and its actual liquidation, appear to be part of a clear pattern of intimidation. Civil society groups such as RCFS play a crucial and legitimate role in society and it is a tragedy that their work is being restricted, rather than celebrated and supported.”

RCFS has been critical of government policy in Chechnya and published reports alleging torture, abductions and murder of civilians by government forces.

This morning, a court in Nizhny Novgorod ruled that RCFS be shut down. The court liquidated the organisation on the grounds that it had violated the recently amended Federal Law on Public Associations under which it is illegal for a non-governmental organisation (NGO) to be headed by a person with a criminal record. The director of RCFS, Stanislav Dmitrievskii, was handed a two-year suspended sentence in February after he was found guilty of inciting ethnic hatred. The charge was condemned by rights groups as politically motivated.

The courts also accused RCFS of changing addresses without notifying the appropriate authorities, holding an unsanctioned march in April and refusing to remove the word “Russian,” from its name. The organisation had successfully fought off a previous attempt at closure last year.

The widely criticised Federal Law 18-FZ, which was introduced earlier this year, imposes stringent government oversight of NGO work and financing. Officials also now have the authority to close down groups whose activities are perceived to contradict their stated goals or harm state interests. The law amended various other laws affecting NGOs, including the Federal Law on Public Associations under which RCFS was liquidated. The new law will take full effect next week.

“The new law has restricted the space for civil society to operate in Russia,” said Doube. “President Putin has consistently stated that the new measures will not be used to silence NGOs, but unfortunately, cases such as this demonstrate an apparent – and highly disturbing – lack of genuine commitment to international human rights standards.”

Since the introduction of the law, both local and international human rights groups have noted increased government pressure on their activities.

In a letter to President Vladimir Putin, CIVICUS condemned the closure of RCFS, and urged that the organisation’s right to appeal be respected. CIVICUS reminded President Putin that Russia is obligated under Article 11 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) and other international instruments to protect the right to association.