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The Russian human rights defenders - representatives of group on protection of human rights defenders of the All-Russia civil network - repeatedly addressed to authorities of the Russian Federation with the offer to generate «contact group» from representatives of human rights defenders community and law enforcement bodies for securing the human rights defenders.

We have to remind that in August, 2009, after the series of murders and attacks, human rights defenders have already addressed with the similar initiative to authorities of the Russian Federation (in the State Office of Public Prosecutor, in Investigatory committee at Office of Public Prosecutor of the Russian Federation, in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, and also the Representative under human rights and in Council at the President of the Russian Federation on development of institutes of a civil society and human rights) with the offer to create joint special «contact group» on protection of human rights defenders and professionals.

«The contact group» under the offer of participants of group on protection of human rights defenders of the All-Russia civil network should consist of representatives of human rights community and law enforcement bodies for maintenance of operative reaction to threats to defenders, fast and effective actions on their protection and a non-admission of illegal actions concerning defenders and human rights organisations. In answers to the initial reference representatives of various law enforcement bodies are of the same opinion as human rights defenders, however do not see expediency in creation of special group. At the same time, the Ministry of Internal Affairs asked to direct in addition offers concerning the interaction organisation.

Unfortunately, since that time, a situation with protection of human rights defenders in Russian Federation has not improved and remains extremely problematic. Messages on cases of pressure upon experts and human rights organisations, about attacks and threats in their address (absolutely recent case — beating of human rights activist Vadim Karastelev in Krasnodar territory) continue to come in. Authors of idea of "contact group» believe that taking into account a public resonance in cases of pressure and attacks on defenders, and also special attention to these episodes of the international intergovernmental structures, for the decision of this problem not enough only human rights measures of reaction were offered by public authorities.

«If similar «the contact group» existed, probably, threats regularly arriving to the same Vadim Karastelev, the government would have concerned more attentively and the attack would be prevented», — Ludmila Alekseeva, the chairwoman of the Moscow Helsinki group, has commented the situation.

«The situation with protection of defenders is an indicator of a state of affairs in the state with human rights, and attacks on them, threats in their address and murders is a separate public problem. It is necessary for us to pass to more system efforts on coordination of our actions, including in interaction with state structures», - the coordinator of group on protection of human rights defenders, the honorary president of the Youth Human Rights Movement Andrey Yurov has underlined.

Now offers are directed the same addressees, and human rights defenders express hope that joint efforts on development of mechanisms of operative reaction and information interchange will help to change a situation qualitatively.

The additional information by phones:
+7-916-537-13-67 – Dmitry Makarov (the secretary of group of the All-Russia Civil Network on protection of human rights defenders, a member of Coordinating Council of the international Youth Human Rights Movement)
+7-916- 113-51-81 – Andrey Yurov (director of MHG strategic development, YHRM honorary president)