US congressmen dislike having Surkov as co-chair of "Civil Society"

Some US congressmen have demanded from the administration of President Barack Obama not to take part in the work of the working group "Civil Society", set up last year under the  top-level Russian-American Commission until the Kremlin replaces its Russian coordinator - first deputy of the administration of Russian President Vladislav Surkov.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported earlier that Russian human rights defenders supported the idea to form the commission, but  expressed their discontent with appointment of Vladislav Surkov as its coordinator, connecting with him "many recent negative trends in Russia's democracy: curtailing the freedom of press, liquidation of the competitive political system and, at last, purposeful building barriers against development of the civil society."

The first sitting of working group "Civil Society" is due in a week in the States. The delegation headed by Vladislav Surkov in on its way from Moscow to Washington. The discontent of American congressmen with Surkov's activities is reported today by the "Russian Newsweek", according to which last December Barack Obama received a letter with sharp criticism of Russia.

The letter was signed by 71 members of the Congress, mainly Republicans. The signatories demand from Washington not to take part in the work of the group on the civil society matters, until the Kremlin replaces Surkov, its Russian co-chair, since he has too compromised himself, as the authors of the letter believe.

See earlier reports: "Statement of the Congress of the United States concerning the alarming situation with proponents of human rights in Russia," "Chairman of European Parliament: EU hopes Russia to stop violence against its human rights defenders."