We fight together!
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www.civilrightsdefenders.org Cover photo: Collage compiled by Emilie Holmstrand. Photographers, front cover, from the left: 1) JOaNNa KuROSz 2) VeSNa PaVLOVIC 3) CIVIL RIGHTS DeFeNDeRS 4) aLexaNDeR MINaTSaKaNyaN 5) CIVIL RIGHTS DeFeNDeRS 6) OSa aRCHIVuM, BuDaPeST Hu OSa 318-0-10 OSa 7) CIVIL RIGHTS DeFeNDeRS 8) NINKe LIeBeRT 9) BeLGRaD PRIDe 10) VeSNa PaVLOVIC 11) OSa aRCHIVuM, BuDaPeST Hu OSa 318-0-10 12) CIVIL RIGHTS DeFeNDeRS 13) TIRaNa LeGaL aID SOCIeTy 14) CIVIL RIGHTS DeFeNDeRS 15) NINKe LIeBeRT 16) CIVIL RIGHTS DeFeNDeRS 17) JOaNNa KuROSz 18) CIVIL RIGHTS DeFeNDeRS Back cover, from the left: 1) TINa axeLSSON 2) NINKe LIeBeRT 3) aNDRIJ MOTJuRaD 4) NINKe LIeBeRT 5) CIVIL RIGHTS DeFeNDeRS 6) JuLIa BJöRNe/ GLOBaL RePORTING Print: aMO-tryck, Stockholm, 2012 Copyright © 2012: Civil Rights Defenders ISBN: 978-91-980311-2-6
Become a human rights defender Support our work: www.civilrightsdefenders.org/support-us/
Sweden’s international human rights organisation We are reminded daily that human rights are not a foregone conclusion, even in democracies. For more than a quarter of a century, we have defended people’s civil and political rights and empowered human rights defenders in Sweden and the rest of the world. But much remains to be done. Working with human rights defenders in the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe, we have achieved fantastic results, first as the Swedish Helsinki Committee for Human Rights and subsequently, from autumn 2009, as Civil Rights Defenders. What distinguishes us from others is that, as an independent human rights organisation, we monitor policy-
makers and demand justice when human rights are violated, while also strengthening our partners by establishing long-term collaboration. We fight together. For us it is a matter of course to work for human rights in our own country too – we are unique in this regard. We believe that Sweden, like other countries, needs a strong civil society that scrutinises its authorities in order to continue to develop in a positive direction. In recent years, we have expanded our operations internationally to include regions where the human rights situation is most difficult. We also continue to develop our partnerships with local human rights defenders and deepen our support to those who are particularly at risk. To succeed, we need your help. Join us and become a human rights defender by giving us your moral and financial support. Together we can accomplish much more. Many thanks to all of you who make our work possible!
Robert Hårdh Executive Director, Civil Rights Defenders PHOTO: NINKe LIeBeRT
In 1988 the International Helsinki Federation visits the Soviets. Reiulf Steen, Norway, andrei Sakharov, Soviet union, and Frantisek Janouch, Sweden, participate.
DEMANDS 1989: The Helsinki Committees in the east and in west demand the release of political prisoners. Lech Walesa of the Polish trade union Solidarity is an early prominent figure.
PHOTO: OSa aRCHIVuM, BuDaPeST Hu OSa 318-0-10
IRON CURTAIN
PHOTO: OSa aRCHIVuM, BuDaPeST Hu OSa 318-0-10
In 1976 the Moscow Helsinki Group is formed to monitor Soviet compliance with the Helsinki accords.
PHOTO: OSa aRCHIVuM, BuDaPeST Hu OSa 318-0-10
SAFETY
30 years of human rights work 1975
The Helsinki agreement, the Final act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in europe, is signed in Finland after years of tough negotiations. Citizens all over europe and the united States join together to monitor their own government’s respect for human rights. The Helsinki family grows to encompass over 40 organisations.
1982
2009
1994
2012
The Swedish Helsinki Committee is established for the purpose of supporting persecuted human rights activists behind the iron curtain. after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the start of the yugoslav wars, the organisation addresses the challenges in the Balkans. The need for a local presence increases and we open our first field office in the region in 2000.
MEDIA
Zhanna Litvina, Chairman of the Belarusian association of Journalists, defends media under strong pressure in Belarus.
THREATS
In the Balkans threats are constantly present. ”Get out, you sect bastards” it says on the Serbian Helsinki Committee’s staircase.
PHOTO: CIVIL RIGHTS DeFeNDeRS
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Civil Rights Defenders looks back on 30 years of work that have produced many successes and concrete results. Looking ahead, the hard work is expected to continue.
PHOTO: CIVIL RIGHTS DeFeNDeRS
Gerald Nagler in a debate with Serbian cultural personality Borka Pavicevic and Kosovo-albanian politician adem Demaci.
PHOTO: CIVIL RIGHTS DeFeNDeRS
DIALOGUE
The organisation changes its name to Civil Rights Defenders. The focus on political and civil rights remains but the geographical mandate is extended to cover the whole world.
A movement grows
In the early 1970s, the eastern and Yuri Orlov, one of the Moscow Helsinki Group’s western powers had still not agreed founders, was sent to a labour camp near Perm in the Soviet Union. on a peace treaty after the Second World War. A series of conferences on the Soviet Union’s violation of human security and cooperation in Europe rights. They now had the support of began, and after several years of tough an international document, which the negotiations, an agreement was signed Soviet Union pledged to follow. The in Helsinki in 1975. reports spread to all The Helsinki Final the states which had Act expressly states Respect for human put their name to the that respect for hudocument, including man rights is a a prerights is a prethe Soviet Union itself. requisite for peace requisite for peace Although the memand friendly relations bers were persecuted, between states. A imprisoned and sent total of 35 European into exile or to Siberia, people all over states, all except Albania, and the the world were inspired to start their United States and Canada agreed on own Helsinki groups. the final wording. ”Many diplomats and politicians in The initiative spreads the west were sceptical,” remembers Over the next few years, national Gerald Nagler, founder of the SweHelsinki Committees were formed in dish Helsinki Committee, which later most Warsaw Pact countries. Poland’s became Civil Rights Defenders. ”They human rights defenders joined forces rightly doubted whether the Soviet in what would later come to be known Union and other states behind the iron as Solidarity while in Czechoslovakia, curtain would respect the agreement. the famous Charter 77 was formed. Helsinki Watch (later Human Rights Human rights violations monitored Watch) was the US member of the The year after the Helsinki confeHelsinki family. Together they worked rence, the Moscow Helsinki Group was for human rights in the international established. Twelve men and women arena. undertook the task of reporting on
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PHOTO: OSa aRCHIVuM, BuDaPeST Hu OSa 318-0-10 OSa
During the Cold War, an agreement was signed in Helsinki in 1975. This inspired citizens across Europe and the United States to join together in non-governmental organisations to monitor their own government’s respect for human rights.
Supporting activists The Swedish Helsinki Committee was established for the purpose of supporting human rights activists at risk behind the iron curtain. The fight, which was pursued jointly in the International Helsinki Federation, produced results and the geographic map of our human rights work was redrawn.
support cooperation between the east and west committees.
Raising awareness of atrocities Large-scale opinion initiatives now got underway. Sweden’s non-alignment policy meant that representatives of the former Swedish Helsinki Committee found it relatively easy to obtain The main purpose of the Swedish a visa to the Soviet Union and other Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, eastern countries. The organisation’s established in Stockrepresentatives, acholm in 1982, was to companied by Swedish People could no support human rights longer shut their parliamentarians, defenders at risk belawyers and prominent eyes to what was scientists, made reguhind the Iron Curtain, to raise awareness of happening behind lar visits to the eastern their persecution and countries in order to the iron curtain to demand that those work for change on a who were imprisoned be released and broad front. their rights respected. After each trip, they organised The International Helsinki Federapress conferences and wrote station was founded in the same year. The tements about the situation. And purpose of the umbrella organisation there was huge interest. The Swedish was to coordinate opinion work and Helsinki Committee was supported
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PHOTO: OSa aRCHIVuM, BuDaPeST Hu OSa 318-0-10 OSa
Gerald Nagler, founder of the Swedish Helsinki Committee, (standing) became the first Secretary General of the International Helsinki Federation (IHF). Here at a press conference in Czechoslovakia in 1988.
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PHOTO: GöRaN ÄRNBÄCK/ SCaNPIx SVeRIGe
Fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989. Since 13 August 1961, the wall had prevented citizens from the east from escaping to the west. Several people lost their lives in attempts to get over the wall.
by Sweden’s political, cultural and scientific personalities. The rest of the world could no longer shut its eyes to what was happening behind the iron curtain. Political reforms in the Soviet The concerted efforts of the Helsinki committees in the east and west began to produce results. The Soviet Union’s violation of human rights was now featuring increasingly in the European and US press. This is confirmed by Ludmilla Alexeyeva, the Moscow Helsinki Group representative in the USA at that time, in her book entitled The Thaw Generation. It became increasingly difficult for the Soviet Union to maintain good relations with the western powers
without improving its behaviour in the human rights area. Daniel C Thomas argues in the article “Human Rights Ideas, the Demise of Communism, and the End of the Cold War” (Journal of Cold War Studies Vol 7, No 2, spring 2005) that increased awareness of human rights was instrumental in getting people like Mikhail Gorbachev interested in political reform. This led to an escalating reform of the Soviet system and gradually to the collapse of one-party rule. The map is redrawn The fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s prompted us to begin work in the Western Balkans, which became large-scale.
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PHOTO: TIRaNa LeGaL aID SOCIeTy
Our work leads to change
LAWS
In Montenegro, Serbia and albania, we have contributed to the adoption of comprehensive anti-discrimination laws. We have also contributed to legislation on legal aid in Macedonia and albania. Work to ensure compliance with the laws is now in progress.
PHOTO: MIKaeL GuSTaVSeN
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The photo exhibition Our rights, made in collaboration with elisabeth Ohlson Wallin, has been touring Sweden and the Balkans since 2009 and has been seen by thousands of people. Knowledge of our human rights is the first step towards getting them respected.
FOTO: eLISaBeTH OHLSON WaLLIN
PHOTO: OKĂ„ND
LEGAL AID
Our initiatives have given hundreds of thousands of people in the former yugoslavia access to free legal aid. In 2010, Saban and arifa Rizvanovic obtained redress and were paid damages by the Montenegrin state for the torture to which yugoslav soldiers subjected them in 1993.
INFORMATION
LGBT
PHOTO: NINKe LIeBeRT
Thanks to our work, thousands of Roma in the Western Balkans have been registered and received identity documents. This means that they can now vote in general elections and have access to schools, health care and social security. This picture is from our partner, Tirana Legal Aid Society, in Albania.
Our partner Coming Out is the first organisation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people registered in Russia. They no longer need to work hidden from the authorities. We help to ensure that several Pride festivals can be carried out around the world. PHOTO: JOaNNa KuROSz
CASES
In more than a hundred cases which we and Russian Justice Initiative have pursued, the European Court of Human Rights has ordered Russia to pay compensation to victims of human rights abuses committed in the North Caucasus.
For several years we have organised a Moot Court in the Western Balkans, to allow law students to conduct fictitious cases relating to human rights violations and in doing so learn the procedures of the European Court. In many countries there is a lack of human rights lawyers.
SUPPORT
PHOTO: TINa axeLSSON
MOOT COURT
PHOTO: CIVIL RIGHTS DeFeNDeRS
We draw attention to oppression against journalists and fight to ensure they are able to carry out their job of scrutinising those in power. In 2009, our partner european Radio for Belarus received official accreditation in Belarus – a victory for freedom of expression.
PHOTO: VeSNa PaVLOVIC
FREE MEDIA
Each year we gather human rights defenders from the North Caucasus in a location that is safe for them, in order to discuss the human rights situation in the region, how their own safety can be improved and joint strategies for reaching out to policymakers in Europe.
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Rights in conflict By strengthening the media and using culture as a tool, we have challenged people’s prejudices and fears, both while war is raging and during the difficult post-war years. An important part of our work is still about obtaining redress for the crimes committed. Our work in the Balkans in the 1990s was primarily aimed at supporting the good forces that existed and creating conditions for more independent sources of information that could balance the official line. The state-controlled media were used in all the Yugoslavian republics as part of the war strategy to whip up hatred against ethnic groups. Professional and independent media play an essential role in democratic development. Some of the media we worked with from the start, the TV
PHOTO: CIVIL RIGHTS DeFeNDeRS
Teuta, the first women’s magazine in Kosovo, mixed seriousness and depth with lighter reportage and therefore became an important source of information for many of the province’s women.
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station ATV (Bosnia-Herzegovina), the newspapers Dani (Bosnia-Herzegovina), Danas (Serbia) and Vijesti (Montenegro) and the news agency Beta (Serbia), developed into strong voices in their countries. Our cooperation with cultural organisations like the Centre for Cultural Decontamination and Rex Cultural Centre in Belgrade, Serbia, was aimed at using media such as film, theatre and books to question ingrained ideas and stimulate debate on the human values which are easily forgotten, particularly in conflict situations. Access to legal aid Legal aid is something the state should provide. With this in mind, we have joined our partners in preparing a draft bill governing the state’s responsibility to offer free legal aid. In several countries in the Western Balkans, we have engaged in advocacy to get draft legislation adopted by parliament. But when the state has been lacking, we have gone in. Civil Rights Defenders has worked with – and in some cases helped to establish – organisations which have offered free legal aid to people whose rights were being violated. We initiated and developed the Committees for Human Rights in Serbia network with offices in six cities in Serbia. In Montenegro we launched the Legal Aid Centre, the first organisation to offer free legal aid to victims of torture, discrimination and other abusive treatment. Our partner Vasa Prava, with legal aid offices at 16 locations in
PHOTO : CIVIL RIGHTS DeFeNDeRS
ble, is of key importance to a country’s rule of law. The importance of proximity We realised that we needed to have a local presence, close to the victims and our local partners, in order to be most effective. In 2000, we opened our first field office in the Western Civil Rights Defenders’ exhibition Our Rights was Balkans, in Serbia’s capital Belgrade. shown at the opening of Bosnia’s only film festival This has strengthened relationships with a focus on Human Rights on 9 January 2011. Pravo with our partner organisations and Ljudski is held annually for the purpose of educating helped to make them perceive us as students and young professionals on human rights. a true partner in the fight for human The festival is also a forum for discussing human rights abuses of the past. rights, rather than an aid organisation. ”We fight together” was a recurring phrase from our partners when they were Bosnia-Herzegovina, was helping tens asked to describe the relationship with of thousands of people every year. us during an evaluation by Sida in 2010. For many years, we worked with the The proximity also means that we Dalmatian Solidarity Committee and drive development forward together. the Croatian Helsinki This may involve writing Committee to offer letters and lobbying support and help for policy-makers, drawing We have used returning Serbs who up legislative propoculture to challenge sals, running campaigns had fled the war in Croatia. people’s fear and or organising events. Because our partners prejudices Unique legal cases know they have a strong Getting legislation international organiadopted is only the sation behind them, first step. Our monitoring of practical they are more daring. The authorities adherence to laws has been important are not as quick to harass them if and has produced concrete results in a they know the eyes of the world are short time. on them, even if the protection is not We and our partners have won a absolute. number of unique cases, including Another important role relates to the rulings against the security and intelliunifying factor. Civil Rights Defenders gence agencies in Serbia and Montestands outside any internal power negro, which were obliged to surrenstruggles and is therefore more easily der information that was previously able to take a leading role in coalitions classified. and networks, as we are not perceived This type of input, namely scrutinias a competitor but a strategically sing and holding authorities accountaimportant partner.
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Equality is essential Our anti-discrimination initiatives include providing vulnerable groups with training on their rights, strengthening the work of civil society and engaging in advocacy to change attitudes. What characterises a vulnerable group – ethnicity, physical or psychosocial disabilities, sexual orientation and sexual identity – differs, but they all have one thing in common: they are denied their basic rights. There are many types of prejudices and the hatred often finds violent expression. For many people, their own family’s shame can be the heaviest burden to bear. Invisible barriers The cause of discrimination is sometimes hidden under the surface, built into the system. We try to find it by getting countries to adopt comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation. In
several of the countries in the Balkans we have managed to achieve this. An important case In March 2010, Russia was ordered to pay a man with a mental disability record compensation of EUR 25,000 for having been detained in a psychiatric hospital for over six months. The European Court found that Russia had violated several provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights. Never before had such a large amount of compensation been awarded in a case concerning the rights of people with disabilities. The case, which was pursued in collaboration with the Mental Disability Advocacy Center, has contributed to a change to the rules on institutionalisation of people with disabilities in Russia.
PHOTO: CIVIL RIGHTS DeFeNDeRS
As one of the first human rights organisations, we began to work for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in the Western Balkans in the early 2000s. We convinced our partners that LGBT rights were the same human rights that cover all of us and that we must fight together, for each other’s rights, in order to achieve success. Since then, we have established partnerships with LGBT organisations in most of the countries where we operate. We provide training, organisational development, support for information campaigns and events. In Serbia and Moldova, we and our partners organise Pride festivals. In Russia, we were involved in the establishment of the first nationwide network of LGBT organisations. The picture shows a demonstration against LGBT people in Moldova in 2010.
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Cleaning our own backyard PHOTO: PRIVaTe
Investigating how our own country fulfils its undertakings has always been an important part of our work. By means of reports, statements and seminars, we influence policy-makers and raise the public’s awareness of circumstances that jeopardise our rights.
Daniel Franklert Murne needed care but the police intervention went wrong and he died. We identified a number of structural weaknesses in the police which must be addressed in order to prevent something similar from happening again.
On 20 March 2005, 22-year-old Daniel We represented one of them, MohamFranklert Murne was shot dead by med Alzery, before the UN Human police at his parents’ Rights Committee and home in Lindesberg. in 2006, Sweden was Daniel suffered from a We found major gaps convicted of having psychosis and needed violated the absolute in the public’s legal prohibition of torture. care but the police inprotection tervention went wrong In 2008, we were and he died. successful in getting Apart from the Sweden ordered to pay disastrous police action, we identified damages of SEK 3 million to each of structural defects within the police the two men, while Ahmed Agiza finally that must be addressed in order to obtained a residence permit in Sweden prevent something similar from hapin 2012. pening again. These include knowledge and rules regarding interventions Our scrutiny of Sweden for the mentally ill and police use of In the report entitled “Bugging and hollow-point ammunition, known as Secret Surveillance – State Interfedumdum bullets, which have been rence in Privacy”, we highlighted major banned in wars since 1899. We will breaches of our citizens’ legal rights pursue these issues. when exposed to secret surveillance. Our report “Language of Hatred” Prohibition of torture violations analysed legislation and practice reguSweden has not been immune to the lating the fine line between freedom of international devaluation of human expression and hate propaganda. rights resulting from the war on terror. This was followed by “Language of We were quick to draw attention to Hatred – Q & A”, which discussed how the expulsion of two Egyptians in 2001, the difficult borderline between what and our communications on this matpeople are and are not allowed to say ter included alternative reports to the and write has been defined. UN Human Rights Committee and the UN Committee against Torture.
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Human rights can’t wait! – taking on a global challenge The issues we deal with are highly relevant all over the world. When we became Civil Rights Defenders, we shook off our previous geographic restrictions and expanded to become a global player. This means that we have brought knowledge and experience from our work in Eastern Europe to other countries and areas where respect for human rights is lacking.
rights that the world’s nations have undertaken to protect. We work with local human rights defenders who are close to people whose rights are violated.
Former Soviet back in focus As the situation has stabilised for the countries of the former Yugoslavia, the focus has returned to our work in Eastern Europe. Southeast Asia and Democratic developOur vision: A peace- ment ground to a halt some countries in Africa is gradually inful and safe world in Russia in the early cluded in our areas of with freedom and 2000s when Vladimir activity. We are also Putin came to power. justice for all further strengthening Freedom of expresour commitment in sion has gradually been regions such as the North Caucasus strangled and NGOs have found their and Central Asia, where all the countriopportunities to work restricted. Dises have authoritarian regimes. sidents are persecuted, harassed and We have a vision of a peaceful and murdered without anyone being held safe world with freedom and justice accountable. for all. We believe that a world where Journalist Anna Politkovskaya, human rights are respected is also lawyer Stanislav Markelov and human a safer and more peaceful world in rights defender Natalia Estemirova are which to live. just a few of the victims who have been To this end we work to ensure people silenced for fighting for human rights have access to the civil and political in Russia.
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PHOTO: JOaNNa KuROSz
In July 2009, the Russian human rights defender and history teacher Natalia Estemirova was murdered. In her work for the Russian human rights organisation Memorial in Grozny, Chechnya, Estemirova documented the human rights abuses, such as torture, murder and kidnapping, which is occurring in the region since the second Chechen war in early 2000. Other human rights defenders in the region continue their work, despite the risks.
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Lives at stake Since the birth of the organisation, we have seen it as an important task to support and empower human rights defenders at risk. These people put their own safety on the line as they fight for our rights. The price of their commitment is high and the authorities rarely do enough to investigate crimes against human rights defenders. On the contrary, right defenders are often branded as enemies and traitors. Several countries are sharpening their legislation to allow access to dissidents. One example is Ales Bialiatski, a prominent human rights defenders in Belarus. He was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for tax evasion after the Belarusian authorities received information about foreign bank accounts opened in his name. The accounts were used to finance the activities of the human rights organisation Viasna, which is operating illegally in Belarus. By imprisoning the organisation’s director, the authorities hoped to cripple large parts of civil society. By creating international awareness of human rights defenders, we make it more difficult for hard-line regimes to silence them. International support is essential to enable human rights defenders to fight on. We empower individuals at risk In 2011, we launched an emergency fund aimed at providing quick help for individuals suffering under extreme pressure or threats. These funds will enable us to act quickly in emergency
situations – by arranging a temporary hideout, for example. We also protect important communication and documents, and create security solutions. In addition, we organise communication and security training worldwide. Methods that produce results Over the years, we have developed an operation in which we work on many levels and with different methods to get our message across and achieve the best possible results: ° We investigate and hold the state authority accountable when legislation or its application goes against civil and political rights. ° We pursue legal proceedings against states and authorities that violate people’s rights. ° We conduct information and advocacy work directed towards policymakers. ° In totalitarian states, we spread independent information to people through the alternative media and other discussion and debate forums. Taking history into the future It is the state’s responsibility to ensure that everyone’s human rights are respected. However, the need to monitor and demand accountability from the state authority has not diminished. Even in democracies, we cannot take our rights for granted. We have everything to gain from respect for people’s rights. This creates the conditions for a more peaceful and safe world. Human rights can’t wait!
With your moral and financial support, we can do more
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Become a human rights defender Your gift is more than a financial contribution that advances our work. For us, and for the human rights defenders that we strive to empower, your donation is a statement of moral support. Donate using your credit card at: www.civilrightsdefenders.org/support-us/ We have ’90’ accounts. This means that our work is controlled by Swedish Fund raising Control (SFI) which guarantees that your money is used properly.
Thank you for your donation. You are needed!
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