Moscow Authorities are Evicting Leading Human Rights NGOs

Two leading human rights organizations, Moscow Helsinki Group and For Human Rights Movement, are going be evicted from their offices by Moscow authorities, Prima News agency reports. Moscow government has decided not to prolong rent of their premises, which they occupy since 1996 and 1997 respectively. The government has already applied to the court for eviction of the NGOs.

Moscow Helsinki Group is the oldest existing human rights organization in Russia, which was founded in late 1970s. Its head Lyudmila Alexeeva, one of the most prominent human rights activists, was just recently awarded the Andrei Sakharov Prize. For Human Rights Movement (Za Prava Cheloveka) is another old and respected human rights NGO headed by Lev Ponomaryov. He says that the reason behind the eviction is either political or economical. Both organizations are outspoken critics of the Kremlin and participate in democratic protests.

PS: As another democratic movement’s activist Vsevolod Chernozub reports on his Twitter, another NGO that defends soldiers’ rights, Mother’s Right is also going to be evicted. I don’t know any more details yet.

Kremlin Attempts to Evict Oborona

On Saturday March 22nd at 3 pm we were surprised to receive a visit from the landlord of our headquarters offices in Moscow, a visit which had been expected the following day at noon. No sooner had I won my freedom from illegal military conscription than it appeared the Kremlin was turning to another tactic, eviction.

The landlord arrived in the company of four police officers, and within the next few hours a large crowed of two dozen was present, including Oborona members, police and journalists. The police demanded the identification documents of all the members without explaining the basis for their demands.

My Interview on Echo of Moscow Radio

“Why do they want to evict the leader of Oborona from his apartment?”

An interview with Oleg Kozlovsky (pictured above, orange shirt)

By Matvey Ganapolsky & Masha Meyers

Echo of Moscow Radio (Audio Link Available)

Originally Aired March 18, 2008

Translated from the Russian by the La Russophobe blog

GANAPOLSKY: Our guest today is the leader of the movement “Oborona” — Oleg Kozlovsky. Greetings.

KOZLOVSKY: Good afternoon.

GANAPOLSKY: Tell us your story.

When You Chop Wood, Chips Fly

Note: This essay was originally published on Robert Amsterdam’s blog.

In expectation of the inauguration of Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian siloviki structures are conducting their latest “mopping up” of the opposition not under their control. The hopes of optimists for a “thaw” are being demolished by these police operations. On 17 March, I had a talk with officer of the militia Sergey Nikolayev, the policeman responsible for one of the precincts of Moscow. In this precinct is being rented an apartment, where meetings of the movement «Oborona» take place. Lying on the desk in the policeman’s small office as “material evidence” are newspapers put out by the organizers of the «Dissenters’ Marches» and «Oborona».