legal action

Statement from the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society following its forced closure

Oksana Chelysheva, Editor of the Russian-Chechen Information Agency

RCFS IS NOT GOING TO STOP OUR HUMAN RIGHTS, PEACEMAKING AND HUMANITARIAN ACTIVITIES

Open statement by the RCFS on the decision taken by the Russian Supreme Court to liquidate it.

On 23 January 2007 the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation upheld the decision of the Regional Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate our organization, the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society.

We were originally ordered to close down in October last year on the basis of a new NGO and anti-extremism law that made it illegal for an NGO to be headed by a person convicted of "extremist" activities. The Russian authorities wanted us to denounce the acts of our chair Stanislaw Dmitirevskiy and to remove him from our board. Furthermore, they expected us to announce this big news about our act of repudiation from our friend and colleague in public. It would have been dishonorable for us. Neither people in Nizhny Novgorod nor in the North Caucasus permitted such a disgraceful option of saving our bacon by sacrificing our friend.

Russia

Russian court closes leading human rights defenders group

A court ruled on 13 October 2006 to close down the Russian Chechen Friendship Society (RCFS) an organization that monitors human rights violations in Chechnya and provides assistance to victims of the conflict. The ruling in the week of the murder of journalist, Anna Politkovskaya signals a determined effort to silence those who speak out about human rights in Chechnya.

The decision is the latest in an array of judicial and legal harassments against RCFS and its staff. Russian authorities have charged RCFS of violating a range of laws including charges of tax evasion based on claims of grants received, in February 2006, Stanislav Dmitrievsky, the Director of RCFS and editor of its newspaper was convicted of inciting racial hatred under the Russian Federal Criminal Code. The charges are a result of articles featuring statements from leading Chechen separatists’ condemning the war. There is also a pending court decision to liquidate the organization.

Russia

Syria: Human Rights Defender Aktham Naisse's trial postponed a third time

Syrian human rights defender Aktham Naisse, President of the Committees for the Defence of Democratic Liberties and Human Rights in Syria (CDF) appeared in court on 24 April 2005. His trial was postponed for a third time until the 26th of June 2005 for sentencing. Two Kurdish human rights activists Shevan Abdo and Massaab Hariri were also due to go on trial the same day but their trials were postponed. Both activists are from the town of Qamishli.

The defence counsel have argued that the charges are unconstitutional and that Aktham is being persecuted due to his democratic principles and his promoting the protection of human rights. There were approximately 200 Syrians protesting outside the Supreme State Security Court in Damascus during the hearing and the area was sealed off by 50-riot police. There were a number of international observers present including Nasser Amin, Director of the Arab centre for Independence of Judiciary who represented Front Line. Representatives of the European Commission delegation in Syria were also present.

Syria

Human Rights Defender Lynne Stewart found guilty

Lynne Stewart, a New York based human rights lawyer, was convicted on 10th February 2005 on five charges including providing material support to terrorists and defrauding the government. The charges arose as a result of her legal representation of Sheik Omar Ali Abdel Rahman, who was convicted in 1995 of plotting terrorism against the United States. Anti-terrorism legislation and practices in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks have made human rights defenders in the United States increasingly vulnerable to repressive consequences, especially defense attorneys with a commitment to protecting civil liberties. Front Line is concerned that the prosecution of Lynne Stewart was politically motivated (Attorney General Ashcroft had announced Stewart’s arrest on television as a significant development in the fight against terror) and is intended to intimidate lawyers working to defend the rights of those facing terrorism charges. Lynne Stewart is one of twelve cases featured in Front Line USA: Threats, Attacks, Arrests and Harassment of Human Rights Defenders published in May 2004.

International

Veteran human rights defender, J B Jeyaretnam -- appeal for a discharge from bankruptcy in Singapore, October 2004

Opposition critic and veteran human rights defender J B Jeyaretnam, who participated in the Dublin Platform for Human Rights Defenders in January 2002, has faced a series of civil defamation suits over a period of several years launched by members or leaders of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP). These have resulted in his bankruptcy. He has now appealed for a discharge from bankruptcy. If he is successful, he will be eligible to contest the next election and thus once again enter the official political arena.

Singapore

Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Brought to Court, November 2003

The Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT) appeared in court on November 12th 2003 in an action which could result in the suspension from duty and expulsion of its board members. Both the organisation and the nine individual members of its board are being charged with offences under the Law of Foundations, particularly attempts to collect donations on the internet and the dissemination of reports about the human rights situation in Turkey to officials from international organisations. This is part of a widespread pattern of harassment of Human Rights Defenders by the Turkish authorities.

The HRFT was founded in 1990 in accordance with the Turkish Civil Code. Since its inception it has been subject to a number of prosecutions aimed at penalising the Foundation for its work. However this is the first time that the prosecution has aimed to depose all nine members of its executive board upon the formal request of the General Directorate of Foundations.

The current charges are, specifically: • That HRFT attempted to collect contributions via the internet;

Turkey

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