1 De ce m be r – Pris one rs for Pe ace Day:
Supporting pe ace and h um an righ ts in Rus s ia
14 O ctobe r 2006, Rus s ian Em bas s y in London. A de l e gation ofth e NationalUnion ofJournal is ts atte m pts to de l ive r a pe tition and a w re ath in m e m ory ofAnna Pol itk ovs k aya Ph oto: Andre as Spe ck O n 7 O ctobe r 2006, Rus s ian journal is tAnna Pol itk ovs k aya w as m urde re d outs ide h e r fl atin M os cow . Th is w as notan is ol ate d cas e - s e ve raljournal is ts h ave be e n k il l e d in Rus s ia in re ce nt ye ars - and itw as nota coincide nce th atAnna Pol itk ovs k aya w as th e targe t. Rus s ia is th e th ird de adl ie s t country in th e w orl d for journal is ts ove r th e pas t15 ye ars , be h ind onl y th e confl ict-ridde n countrie s ofIraq and Al ge ria. A re portby th e Com m itte e to Prote ct Journal is ts (CPJ) found th at42 journal is ts h ad be e n k il l e d in Rus s ia s ince 19 9 2, m any ofth e m sl ain in contract-s tyl e e xe cutions and th e vas tm ajority uns ol ve d by Rus s ian auth oritie s . ButAnna Pol itk ovs k aya w as notonl y an oppos itionaljournal is t - w h ich w oul d h ave be e n dange rous e nough tin Rus s ia. Th e focus ofAnna Pol itk ovs k aya's w ork w as on th e w ar in Ch e ch nya, and h um an righ ts viol ations by Rus s ian force s in Ch e ch nya, or agains t Ch e ch nians l iving in Rus s ia. W ith th is focus s h e h ad to touch on tw o ce ntralpil l ars ofPutin's
pow e r in Rus s ia: th e Rus s ian m il itary and s e curity force s , and Rus s ia's w ar on te rror in Ch e ch nya.
Extre m e l y ins ignificant? Pre s ide ntPutin re s ponde d to th e m urde r ofAnna Pol itk os vk aya onl y w h e n pre s s e d to do s o by journal is ts during a vis itto Ge rm any. H e th e n s aid: "H ow e ve r, th e de gre e ofh e r infl ue nce on th e country's pol itical de ve l opm e nt... w as ins ignificant." Ifth atw oul d be true , w h y th e n w as s h e m urde re d? Anna Pol itk ovs k aya h as be e n th re ate ne d and attack e d num e rous tim e s in re tal iation for h e r w ork . In Fe bruary 2001 s e curity age nts de taine d h e r in th e Ve de no dis trictin Ch e ch nya, accus ing h e r ofe nte ring Ch e ch nya w ith outaccre ditation. Sh e w as k e ptin a pitfor th re e days w ith outfood or w ate r, w h il e a m il itary office r th re ate ne d to s h ooth e r. Se ve n m onth s l ate r, s h e re ce ive d de ath th re ats from a m il itary office r accus e d ofcrim e s agains tcivil ians . Sh e w as force d to fl e e to Vie nna afte r th e office r s e ntan e -m ailto Novaya Gaz e ta
prom is ing th ath e w oul dseek re ve nge . W h e n s h e w as k il l e d, s h e w as again w ork ing on a ne w s tory on h um an righ ts viol ations in Ch e ch nya. And obvious l y Putin w oul dl ik e th is to be "ins ignificant."
Notonl y journal is ts And its notonl y journal is ts . O nl y a fe w days afte r th e m urde r ofAnna Pol itk ovs k aya, Rus s ian auth oritie s cl os e d th e Rus s ianCh e ch e n Frie nds h ip s ocie ty in Niz h ny Novgorod - again, be caus e itw as h igh l igh ting Rus s ia's w ar on te rror in Ch e ch nya. O bvious l y, th is is jus t anoth e r atte m ptto s il e nce dis s e nt, fol l ow ing th e introduction ofa ne w l aw on NGO s and civil s ocie ty organis ations . And th e Guardian re porte d on 19 O ctobe r th ats e ve ralw e l l -k now n inte rnationalNGO s h ave to ce as e th e ir ope rations in Rus s ia be caus e th e y m is s e d th e y de adl ine for re gis tration unde r th e ne w l aw . H ow e ve r, th is w as ofte n due to bure aucratic de l ays . Until 18 O ctobe r, onl y 9 1 outofup to 500 inte rnationalNGO s h ad be e n approve d by th e Rus s ian
auth oritie s - th e re m ainde r h ad to s us pe nd th e ir activitie s . Again, s om e ofth e NGO s conce rne d are invovl e d in h um anitarian aid in th e North Caucas us - in Ingus h e tia or el s e w h e re , ofte n providing h um anitarion aid to Ch e ch e n re fuge e s .
A cl im ate ofviol e nce Th e k il l ings ofjournal is ts and th e crack dow n on NGO s and civil s ocie ty groups h appe n in th e conte xtofris ing viol e nce agains t m inoritie s and pol iticalactivis ts . In Nove m be r 2005, tw o anarch is ts w e re attack e d by fas cis ts in StPe te rs burg, l e aving one ofth e m de ad, th e oth e r one h e avil y injure d. Es pe cial l y Caucas ians l iving in Rus s ia face racis tattack s and abus e re gul arl y. And th e pre s e nte s cal ation ofth e confl ictbe tw e e n Rus s ia and Ge orgia - w ith th e de portation of h undre ds ofGe orgian citiz e ns from Rus s ia - adds e ve n furth e r to racis tth re ads in viol e nce w ith in Rus s ian s ocie ty. Cl e arl y, th ings are notgoing w e l lin Rus s ia... Andre as Spe ck
Editorial
O ctobe r w as nota good m onth for Rus s ian h um an righ ts activis ts . O n 7 O ctobe r, Anna Pol itk ovs k aya, a w e l lk now journal is tw h o re gul arl y e xpos e d Rus s ian h um an righ ts viol ations in Ch e ch nya, w as m urde re d in h e r fl atin M os cow . Six days l ate r, on 13 O ctobe r, th e Rus s ian Ch e ch e n Frie nds h ip Socie ty (RCFS) of Niz h nii Novgorod w as orde re d cl os e d by a l ocalcourt, be caus e th e re ce ntl y adopte d NGO l aw m ak e s itil l e galfor an organis ation to be h e ade d by a pe rs on convicte d of"e xtre m is tactivitie s ". Am ne s ty Inte rnationalcom m e nte d th atStanis l av Dm itrie vs k ii, Exe cutive Dire ctor of RCFS, w as convice d on "race h ate " ch arge s on 3 Fe bruary 2006 for publ is h ing non-viol e nt articl e s by Ch e ch e n s e paratis t l e ade rs , and w as - in vie w ofAI convicte d for th e pe ace fule xe rcis e ofh is righ toffre e dom of e xpre s s ion and s h oul d noth ave face d trialin th e firs tpl ace . O nl y a fe w days l ate r th e m il itary pros e cutors in Ch e l yabins k droppe d th e ir inve s tigation offour arm y official s accus e d of fail ing to s top th e h az ing ofarm y cons criptAndre i Sych yov - a cas e th atre ce ive d a l otofpubl ic atte ntion e arl ie r th is ye ar be caus e ofth e viol e nce and crue l ty invol ve d. W h il e th e pe rs on w h o be ath im w as s e nte nce d on 26 Se pte m be r to four ye ars im pris onm e nt, no furth e r action w il l now be tak e n agains tth os e in ch arge ofprote cting cons cripts . Th e s e th re e unre l ate d ne w ite m s s h e d s om e l igh ton th e s ituation in Rus s ia - a s ituation, w h ich is ge tting w ors e , w h il e W e s te rn l e ade rs and bus ine s s e s incre as ingl y m ak e de al s w ith Rus s ia. Ch e ch nya, and th e incre as ingl y racis tpol icy tow ards Caucas ian citice ns w ith in Rus s ia, is Rus s ia's "w ar on te rror", and th e s il e nce ofW e s te rn l e ade rs is th e price paid for Rus s ian coope ration in Bus h 's "w ar on te rror". For us a pe ace m ove m e nt, h ow e ve r, itis im portantto notbe s il e ntaboutCh e ch nya and Rus s ian h um an righ ts viol ations , butto s upportpe ace and h um an righ ts activis ts in Rus s ia and Ch e ch nya. Andre as Spe ck
Th e Brok e n Rifl e
Th e Brok e n Rifl e is th e ne w s l e tte r ofW ar Re s is te rs ' Inte rnational , and is publ is h e d in Engl is h , Spanis h , Fre nch and Ge rm an. Th is is is s ue 72, Nove m be r 2006. Th is is s ue ofTh e Brok e n Rifl e w as produce d by Andre as Spe ck . Spe cialth ank s go to e ve ryone w h o provide d th e inform ation us e d in th is is s ue . If you w ante xtra copie s ofth is is s ue ofTh e Brok e n Rifl e, pl e as e contactth e W RI office , or dow nl oad itfrom our w e bs ite . W ar Re s is te rs ' Inte rnational , 5 Cal e donian Road, London N1 9 DX, Britain te l+ 44-20-7278 4040 fax + 44-20-7278 0444 info@ w ri-irg.org h ttp://w ri-irg.org/pubs / br72-e n.h tm