Crimean Tatars would be simply destroyed
For the first time in the history of modern Russia the Court ruled to liquidate the public organization – human rights, “Agora” association. This association consists of well-known Russian lawyers. Among them – lawyers, protecting the interests of Ukrainian citizens Olega Sentsova and Aleksandra Kolchenko.
Lawyers “Agora”, for example, protected member of the group Pussy Riot, the defendants “marsh case”, the victims in the case of torture in the police station, “Far” in Kazan and continue to protect the artist Petr Petr Pavlensky who installed the Maidan on the Small Konyushenny bridge in St. Petersburg and set fire to the door of the FSB headquarters in Moscow.
“Ukrainian Truth” spoke with the founder of the “Agora” Pavlom Chikovym and find out what lead liquidated human rights organization, why human rights are still not agreed on the protection of human rights in the Crimea, and what the outcome Sentsova-Kol’chenko.
elimination
The liquidation of the organization – it is not prohibited activity. In general, the elimination of legal person – fairly standard story when it comes to commercial firms.
In Russia – yes, I think, and you also – businessmen mostly working 2-3 years, and then to liquidate the company and create a new one to avoid inspections. This is a standard term life normal commercial organization. In our country it is a non-profit organization and content of the human rights. The initiator was the Ministry of Justice, and the formal ground – breaking the law.
During the proceedings in Tatarstan court judge suggested that the Ministry of Justice to express their claims and to justify the claim. The Ministry of Justice said that there is a violation of the law on accounting, since it is not the statement of accounts submitted to the tax office, is a violation of the statute, because not held a general meeting, and no conclusions of the audit.
Our lawyer showed a document from the Internal Revenue Service that there are no violations. Violation of the congregation, we also eliminated.
As for the audit, we have instead of the audit was the annual audit of all standards, which was carried out by the international auditing firm. That is, all the violations have been eliminated. And the judge says, “Well, the violations are fixed, what claim?”. The Ministry of Justice says, “And the fact that the organization continues to shape public opinion and everything else is trying to get out of the register of foreign agencies”.
In fact, nowhere is prohibited to form public opinion and try to get out of the register of foreign agencies . Especially because the law provides for this procedure. After that, the judge retired to the deliberation room, and when he returned, he said that the organization is subject to liquidation.
Context
Over the past four years – if we start counting from the time when Putin became president for the third time – greatly reduced the number of non-profit organizations. In fact, it dies third sector.
Those organizations that are left – this sucker to budget money at politicians at the federal level and the Public Chamber. Money is only for them. A business does not fund the non-profit sector, or only finances some completely harmless, vegetarian items such as child support cases.
Because it politicized all the way up to protect the rights of animals . Ecology – is also a political issue, with the setting of national security. Human rights activists, there are so considered, are intended to destabilize the situation and to arrange Maidan.
Financing and relations with the Kremlin
We have long been no general funding, each lawyer their sources, and this law secret. Generally, no one cares about that, where the lawyer gets the money indeed.
We partially receives funds from the organization “area law”, founded by Nadia Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhine, in part – by the European Court of Human Rights.
Russian money is not a long time. The last money that received the association, was the presidential grant . All in all we had three grants totaling somewhere 12 million rubles.
And most of the money went to the legal school “Agora”. It was such a trick: we’re on the money of the Russian budget taught dozens of lawyers working on cases of human rights violations.
Due to the participants in these two schools of law, we tripled lawyers and attorneys team “Agora”.
That is, in fact Putin’s money, we increased the number of lawyers working in the field of human rights is now in Russia. Perhaps therein lies our “Kremlin trace”, which they say some of the characters. In addition, I am also a member of the Human Rights Council under the President, it also has a certain effect.
What is now the easiest way to blame the man? The fact that he was a fascist or whatever works for the Kremlin.
The case of Sentsova-Kol’chenko
Case Sentsova – alarming for the Kremlin. It seems to me that the fate of children has long been predetermined and the only question is when and under what circumstances, this plan will be implemented under what conditions.
Little doubt that sooner or later they will exchange, I do not personally . Moreover, almost immediately it became clear that the fate of these cases does not lie in the legal and diplomatic plane. It is clear that in terms of mutual blocking truck traffic, perhaps it is not the conditions that increase the likelihood.
Until the sentence comes into force and they are somewhere not otedut situation around them subsides.
Although here, too, there are certain risks, because if you die down and everyone will forget about them, respectively, the idea may be, it is not necessary to change it, let it sit.
But, anyway, the question is about them rather related to diplomatic and informal, invisible to the public relations between the Ukrainian and Russian authorities.
Maybe longer had any urge to ensure that their exchange-quick scheme, but they did not work, and they have decided to push the colony.
In fact, in Russia nobody ever knows where the result would be convicted. Only a month, sometimes two it becomes known. But there is too much trouble in order to get them from anywhere if necessary. In the end, Khodorkovsky was taken from prison and immediately taken away to Germany, is not particularly straining.
Crimea
In Crimea there is no our lawyers because they were not there originally because he was Ukrainian context, we are not familiar. After the event, we connected Sasha Popkov, our lawyer from Sochi, and he went there a few times when the Crimean journalists and activists have been problems.
But there were difficulties associated with the ratio of Ukrainian human rights defenders to work in the Crimea. This is a common problem at all Russian human rights defenders who work there.
Ukrainians believe that the use of legal mechanisms to protect the activists can not be Crimea, because it is actually illegal legitimization of Russian interference . And in the end people are left without assistance. Many of those we have developed to protect or to have conversations about it, talked with his Ukrainian friends in Kiev refused to support, referring to such a position. This is probably the ethical and political issue. Forced to provide assistance, we can not and should not.
Another component of the Crimean problems – is the Crimean Tatars, which began against the background of what is happening are not very trusting . In principle, it is understandable, because when the Crimea was Ukrainian, had no information about Russian human rights organizations and lawyers who can be trusted.
All these difficulties interfere with the work, not to mention the fact that the trip there are decent resources. However, some work is carried out there, I’m not ready to talk about it in detail. At least there is contact, communication is defined by legal aid is provided, including us.
In order to ensure an effective system of legal protection for people in the Crimea should be some kind of a clear solidarity, a common position between the Ukrainian and Russian human rights activists.
At least – must be a public position, which will be that at the moment the legal status of Crimea does not concern us, but we can state that in the peninsula of human rights violations.
Because now the peninsula is controlled by the Russian authorities, on the basis of international standards and approaches, responsibility for violation and effective investigation into these violations lies with the one who controls the territory, therefore, on the Russian authorities.
This means that people whose rights are violated, it is necessary to provide legal assistance with the use of existing mechanisms, including the Council of Europe mechanism.
Since both Russia and Ukraine are members of the Council of Europe and acknowledge the Court’s jurisdiction. That is necessary to formulate a position which will allow people to apply for legal aid, and to receive it.
Why Ukrainian and Russian human rights activists have agreed two years? I do not know, somehow I was not engaged.
For various reasons we have not done the Crimean direction of one of our priorities. We could do it, if I had to respond to someone’s call. Just for us, this area is not very well known, we do not know the specifics of the relationship there.
I think, no need to wonder why nobody did, and should be done if required.
It has now become clear that the Crimean Tatars simply destroyed . First with them were negotiated, and then were small acts of intimidation, and now all of them are called “Kadyrov’s men” and provide them with the prospect of planting 10-15 years in prison for terrorism. It’s already a hard-core, to which all come.
Majlis are going to recognize a terrorist organization. And the trick is that the Russian legislation allows even recognize the informal organization of extremist and ban its activities on the territory of Russia. Conditional “Right Sector” recognized extremist organization and banned, although it does not have legal registration in Russia. Accordingly, anyone who dares to call himself a member or participant of this organization risks being brought to criminal responsibility.
All those repressive models that have long existed in Russia, is now extended to the Crimea, and in this sense, the situation there is getting worse faster and faster. No one is no good waiting.
Interviewed by Catherine Sergatskova
Sourse, 23/02/2016
