HRW: Europe should call Moscow to reforming human rights sphere

European leaders should use the November 18-19 Stockholm Summit to voice out their concern of deteriorated situation with human rights in Russia and call Moscow to its actual improvement. This was stated by the international Human Rights Watch (HRW) organization, which noted that lately in Russia at least five civil activists were killed, and others faced pressure.

The "Caucasian Knot" wrote that on July 15 in Grozny Natalia Estemirova, an employee of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" in Chechnya, was kidnapped and later on that very day was found dead in Ingushetia. On August 11 in Grozny Zarema Sadulayeva, head of the Youth Public Organization "Let's Save the Generation", and her husband Alik Dzhabrailov, 33, were kidnapped and also found later murdered and with traces of torture. On October 25 in Kabardino-Balkaria Maksharip Aushev, a well-known Ingush public figure, was shot dead in his car.

Besides, now one of the leading human rights activists - Oleg Orlov, head of the HRC "Memorial", is under threat of criminal prosecution for his statement related to the murder of his colleague Natalia Estemirova.

"At the previous summit in May there were hopes for reforms in civil society," said Allison Gill, director of the HRW Moscow office. "After that, during six months four more activists were killed; and it shows how vulnerable independent voices in Russia are. It's time to act."

See earlier reports: "PACE recalls Russia of Estemirova's death and other resonant murders in Northern Caucasus," "Head of "Memorial" was interrogated for 4 hours on his slander case," "HRW: criminal case on slander against head of HRC "Memorial" should be stopped."