As deputies accuse ombudsman Vladimir Lukin of “taking sides” with some opposition figures and missing other issues, human right activists and analysts say he is doing his job properly.

Lukin, who was appointed the human rights commissioner in 2004, came under fire after he urged an inquiry into the brutal activities of the riot police during the dispersal of an unauthorized opposition rally in Moscow.

He visited Triumfalnaya Square on May 31 where protesters demanded “the implementation of the constitutional right for peaceful assembly.” The brutal response from police was not justified, the ombudsman said. He also made his position clear in the report about the results of his activities.

The report drew criticism from many politicians. Federation Council’s commission on the development of institutions of civil society has said the document describes mostly violations of political rights and does not pay much attention to socio-economic ones.

Aleksandr Pochinok, a member of the Federation Council, publicly voiced on July 6 parliamentarians’ complaints about this document. The deputies also complained that the ombudsman did not offer remedies to improve the situation.

The deputies also said the report did not consider the observance of the freedoms of movement and choosing place of residence, the rights for sufficient living standards and favorable environment, education and participation in a cultural life. However, the document often “politicizes” the assessments of the situation, the commission said.

Protecting human rights should not turn “into a political campaign, and the ombudsman should not support people only in cases where his political views coincide with opinions of those whom he protects,” the deputies concluded.

Ombudsmen in several Russian regions have also criticized Lukin for his “selective approach” while evaluating the observance of human rights.

However, the Presidential Council on Civil Society Institutions and Human Rights has supported Lukin’s activities. His work is useful and necessary for many Russians, the council said in a statement on July 5.

The analysis of complaints coming from citizens shows that “the country’s modernization is impossible without real guarantees of the protection of human rights and freedoms,” it stated. The annual commissioner’s report “reflects Russian realities and highlights violations of individual and socio-political rights of citizens,” the statement said.

The presidential council also stressed the need for effective feedback in the relations between society and the state. Although the number of complaints from citizens about the freedom of assembly is relatively small, some of them concern violations made during certain public rallies, the statement reads.

The council also cited Lukin’s words about “a high level of intolerance in society” and expressed support for his “citizen’s position.”

The ombudsman should protect human rights first of all, stressed Igor Yurgens, director of the Institute of Contemporary Development. “And the state, trade unions and employees should deal with economic and social rights,” he told Nezavisimaya Gazeta. “Lukin cannot replace everyone.”

The institute of the ombudsman was created to protect human rights, but mostly constitutional rights: the freedom of speech, assembly and manifestations, Yurgens aid.

From www.rt.com