Across the Ocean, They Are Listening to the Russian Opposition
Published in Kommersant
(Russia) on 4 March 2013
by Sofia Samokhina (link to original)
Russian defenders of human rights and representatives of the opposition will be appearing at a conference in Washington, entitled "U.S.-EU-Russia Relations after Putin's Crackdown." Lyudmila Alexeyeva, the head of the Moscow-Helsinki Group (MHG), is speaking to the Congress on the candidacy of Russian officials who, in the opinion of human-rights defenders, should be included on the "Magnistky List." Mikhail Kasyanov, a representative of the Republican Party of Russia — People's Freedom Party (RPR-PARNAS), is speaking about repressive laws adopted by the Russian Parliament. Additionally, Dmitri Gudkov, a Just Russia (Spravoross) party representative in Parliament, is asking for American assistance in "anti-corruption investigations" into overseas real estate held by Russian officials.
Appearing at today's conference in Washington — "New Approach or Business As Usual? U.S.-EU-Russia Relations After Putin’s Crackdown" — are: Mikhail Kasyanov, a representative of RPR-PARNAS; Lyudmila Alexayeva, the head of the MHG; Dmitri Gudkov, a Parliamentary representative of the Just Russia Party; and Lilia Shevtsova, a leading researcher at the Moscow Carnegie Center. The conference is taking place in the context of the "Helsinki 2.0" process, which focuses on the issue of Russia’s fulfillment of its obligations to observe human rights and civil freedoms, which was undertaken in the framework of an agreement with the OSCE (signed in 1975 in Helsinki). Also appearing at the conference are Guy Verhofstadt, head of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) party in the European Parliament, and David Kramer, President of Freedom House.
In his report, Mikhail Kasyanov is speaking on "the December 2011 promise of political freedom which has been turned into a profanation." "During the first 100 days after the election of Vladimir Putin, the most repressive laws were passed. These laws concerned demonstrations, government secrets and restoring libel to the criminal code," said Mr. Kasyanov. He also explained to his American colleagues the inspiration for the "Magnitsky Law": In his opinion, for the sake of holding onto power, Vladimir Putin used the same scheme as in 2004, when a terrorist act in Beslan was used as an excuse to discontinue the elections [of federal subjects of Russia] and clear the political field. In the course of individual meetings, Mr. Kasyanov discusses issues of the "reset" in Russian-American relations and international security: "There is no progress on North Korea, tension on the Syrian issue and no discussion on the question of the joint missile defense system. So long as there is distrust between our two countries, there will be no movement on the joint missile system."
The human-rights activists brought a "dossier" to Washington with the names of "potential candidates" for inclusion on the "Magnitsky List." Remember, the Magnitsky Law was signed by U.S. President Barack Obama at the end of last year. Now officials who were involved in the death in prison of Hermitage Capital lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, as well as other Russian citizens involved in human-rights violations, are forbidden entry into the United States. Previously issued visas will be annulled and their assets and accounts in America will be frozen (see Kommersant, 15 December 2012). So far, only the law has been passed; American and Russian human-rights organizations must present a list of names. Ms. Alexeyeva was not available for comment yesterday. In Mikhail Kasyanov's opinion, the Russian activists' list could include "investigators at various levels, courts and officials — people who have the power to give orders, to sign decrees, to make arrests." He did not exclude the possibility that the list might include officials accused of unlawful detention, after a public inquiry into the May 6 affair (in which 21 participants in a protest at Bolotny Square were accused of inciting mass unrest).
Just Russia representative Dmitri Gudkov proposed that the American politicians "step back from criticizing the repression of Vladimir Putin, and help the Russian opposition to find Russian officials' overseas real estate and business interests of corrupt origins." "They already told me that Vladimir Pekhtin's (the representative from the United Russia Party, which two weeks ago passed a mandate because of information published about his overseas property) apartment in Miami has a lot of highly-placed neighbors," Gudkov told Kommersant. Moreover, Just Russia already met with two American families, who adopted Russian orphans. "In all families, they assured me that they sent reports on the children's development to the Russian Embassy. There is no problem in visiting the families who have adopted our orphans, the embassy simply never called them," remarked Mr. Gudkov.
Appearing at today's conference in Washington — "New Approach or Business As Usual? U.S.-EU-Russia Relations After Putin’s Crackdown" — are: Mikhail Kasyanov, a representative of RPR-PARNAS; Lyudmila Alexayeva, the head of the MHG; Dmitri Gudkov, a Parliamentary representative of the Just Russia Party; and Lilia Shevtsova, a leading researcher at the Moscow Carnegie Center. The conference is taking place in the context of the "Helsinki 2.0" process, which focuses on the issue of Russia’s fulfillment of its obligations to observe human rights and civil freedoms, which was undertaken in the framework of an agreement with the OSCE (signed in 1975 in Helsinki). Also appearing at the conference are Guy Verhofstadt, head of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) party in the European Parliament, and David Kramer, President of Freedom House.
In his report, Mikhail Kasyanov is speaking on "the December 2011 promise of political freedom which has been turned into a profanation." "During the first 100 days after the election of Vladimir Putin, the most repressive laws were passed. These laws concerned demonstrations, government secrets and restoring libel to the criminal code," said Mr. Kasyanov. He also explained to his American colleagues the inspiration for the "Magnitsky Law": In his opinion, for the sake of holding onto power, Vladimir Putin used the same scheme as in 2004, when a terrorist act in Beslan was used as an excuse to discontinue the elections [of federal subjects of Russia] and clear the political field. In the course of individual meetings, Mr. Kasyanov discusses issues of the "reset" in Russian-American relations and international security: "There is no progress on North Korea, tension on the Syrian issue and no discussion on the question of the joint missile defense system. So long as there is distrust between our two countries, there will be no movement on the joint missile system."
The human-rights activists brought a "dossier" to Washington with the names of "potential candidates" for inclusion on the "Magnitsky List." Remember, the Magnitsky Law was signed by U.S. President Barack Obama at the end of last year. Now officials who were involved in the death in prison of Hermitage Capital lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, as well as other Russian citizens involved in human-rights violations, are forbidden entry into the United States. Previously issued visas will be annulled and their assets and accounts in America will be frozen (see Kommersant, 15 December 2012). So far, only the law has been passed; American and Russian human-rights organizations must present a list of names. Ms. Alexeyeva was not available for comment yesterday. In Mikhail Kasyanov's opinion, the Russian activists' list could include "investigators at various levels, courts and officials — people who have the power to give orders, to sign decrees, to make arrests." He did not exclude the possibility that the list might include officials accused of unlawful detention, after a public inquiry into the May 6 affair (in which 21 participants in a protest at Bolotny Square were accused of inciting mass unrest).
Just Russia representative Dmitri Gudkov proposed that the American politicians "step back from criticizing the repression of Vladimir Putin, and help the Russian opposition to find Russian officials' overseas real estate and business interests of corrupt origins." "They already told me that Vladimir Pekhtin's (the representative from the United Russia Party, which two weeks ago passed a mandate because of information published about his overseas property) apartment in Miami has a lot of highly-placed neighbors," Gudkov told Kommersant. Moreover, Just Russia already met with two American families, who adopted Russian orphans. "In all families, they assured me that they sent reports on the children's development to the Russian Embassy. There is no problem in visiting the families who have adopted our orphans, the embassy simply never called them," remarked Mr. Gudkov.