On behalf of 'Nigdy Wiecej' (the 'Never Again' Organisation) and other participants of Porozumienie 11 Listopada I would like to ask you to support this action.

The International Socio-Ecological Union expresses its grave concern about the recent threats made against one of our members, Farid Tukhbatullin. At the beginning of October, the well-known Turkmen human rights activist received several confirmed signals that the security police of Turkmenistan were planning to quietly do away with him. This coincided with the statement from Turkmenistan's President Berdymukhammedov that the security police should strengthen its battle with “slanderers, who are outside the country’s borders,” which was published on September 30, 2010.

On October 30, in Tomsk three activists of the local branch of the Russian LGBT Network were attacked while disctributing leaflets to people in the streets with the call or tolerance toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. They were attacked by a group of nine people in the masks. In the results of harsh beating all three activists were taken to the hospital with serious injuries. We draw a particular attention to the fact that the attack took place very close to the police station, but the police officers did not interfere.

A group of Journalists and bloggers are holding rally on Saturday near the Moscow police headquarters demanding the thorough investigation into the attack on Kommersant journalist.

The political correspondent of Russian business daily, Kommersant, Oleg Kashin was severely beaten by the unknown assailants near his house in Moscow early on Saturday. The journalist suffered jaw and leg fractures as well as the finger injuries. Kashin was sent to the intensive care unit of one of Moscow's hospitals.

About fifty people including famous Russian bloggers and journalists are carrying the posters reading: "Journalist Oleg Kashin has been attacked, I urge to find the authors and performers [of the crime]."

On October 31, 2010 at 6-7 p.m. the first concerted rally within the movement Strategy-31 took place. Around two and a half thousand people participated.

Lyudmila Alekseeva, one of the primary applicants, head of the Moscow Helsinki group, took responsibility for holding of the rally. Three human rights organizations - Moscow Helsinki group, All-Russia movement For Human Rights and Human Rights Center Memorial - stated that they supported Alekseeva and were ready to assist her in preparation for and holding of the meeting (http://www.memo.ru/eng/news/2010/10/27/2710101.htm).

Mr President, we appeal to you, since today only you can stop the passing of a bill that annuls not only the very meaning of Article 31 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and Article 21 of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, but also abrogates the universal principle of law, according to which only a court can impose a punishment that limits civil rights and freedoms. At the same time, this bill puts in question the presumption of innocence.

The Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation is considering amendments to the Federal Law “On Assemblies, Rallies, Demonstrations, Marches and Pickets”.

On October 30th five LGBT activists were attacked by a group of 8 people in the city of Tomsk, Russia shortly after they started a peaceful awareness-raising action against homophobia. The action was organised in the afternoon at one of the city’s central squares.

Sunday 31 October will be a test for the effectiveness in practice of the right to peaceful assembly, which is enshrined in Article 31 of the Russian Constitution. For more than a year “Strategy 31” rallies have been held in Moscow, St Petersburg and some other Russian cities on months with that date. The plight of these rallies so far has illustrated the limitations to the right to assembly in practice. This problem is not unique to Russia.

On September, the 13th, Microsoft reported about its intention to introduce radical changes that make it impossible for the authorities in Russia and other countries to use anti-piracy enforcement actions to harass non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and others which are engaged in public advocacy. It will result in creating a new unilateral software license for NGOs and a ban on involvement of the corporations advocates in such situations. This statement was an answer to the criticism of the company. The company had somehow supported the pressure on NGOs in Russia.
 

This conference is the unique of its kind with the aim of discussion about a new social mission of the university and possibility of interaction between the university and the institutions of civil society. The conference was organized by the program of St. Petersburg State University “Arts and Human Sciences” (formerly known as the Smolny College of Liberal Arts and Sciences).