Krasnodar Territory human rights activists connected with "spy scandal"

On February 4, one of the Krasnodar Territory TV Channels and a local newspaper suggested that human rights activists are connected with secret services, in particular, with British intelligence, runs the message from the "Novorossiysk Committee for Human Rights" submitted to the "Caucasian Knot."

In January 2005, representatives of the British embassy came to Krasnodar, among them Mark Dow whose name was mentioned in connection with the spy scandal in Moscow in January this year. The British diplomats met with representatives of various public organizations, teachers of the Kuban state university, human rights activists and journalists. The meeting was held in the premises of the Kuban youth union in Krasnaya Street, next to the Territory governor's office.

The discussion was about migration, human rights, relations between the administration and non-government organizations and mass media independence in Krasnodar Territory. Special attention was paid to ethnic discrimination with regard to Meskhetin Turks, Batumi Kurds (Kurmanches) and Armenians. The meeting was announced in advance and, following it, an information statement was issued.

"During all these years, the Territory administration has been ignoring our proposals to discuss acute problems. It would suit the Territory administration if everyone who criticizes the governor for violations of human rights were declared spies or their helpmates. It would then be possible to continue violations of the Constitution and international law. We had a similar situation in August 2002 when we regularly reported about the hunger strike of Meskhetin Turks in the village of Kiyevskoye. The Territory bureaucrats suggested we avoid talking about mass persecutions of ethnic minorities and "pressing" Georgia to take over the Meskhetin Turks. We declined the "honourable" proposal and immediately were accused of abetting extremism and interference with the Krasnodar Territory internal affairs using the money of foreign states. After that, our organization "School of Peace" was liquidated under a far-fetched pretext," - relates Vadim Karastelev from the "Novorossiysk Committee for Human Rights", one of the participants in the meeting with British diplomats.

It is long-existing practice that diplomats from different countries, having agreed their visit with the Territory administration, come to Krasnodar and hold meetings with functionaries and representatives of public organizations.

"The mass media which enjoy financial support from the Territory budget have now decided to sell a regular meeting as a spy cobweb into which naive representatives of public and journalists fall, owing to their unawareness or money. Incidentally, the diplomats always hold meetings with the Krasnodar Territory administration, however, no one accuses bureaucrats of links with spies," notes the message from the "Novorossiysk Committee for Human Rights."

For reference, Russian FSB (Federal Security Bureau) announced the exposure of four British secret service agents who worked under the cover of the British embassy in Moscow and were ostensibly involved into financing of a number of non-government organizations (NGOs) in the RF.

The Russian secret services got interested in four British diplomats, Paul Cronton, assistant of the official representative of the British intelligence service in Moscow, Mark Dow, second secretary of the embassy, Christopher Pierce, embassy secretary-registrar, and Andrew Fleming, secretary-registrar, reports NEWSru.com.

In their turn, several hundreds of representatives of Russian non-government organizations signed the statement "Spy scandal": the stand of civil organizations," in which they protest against the campaign of discrediting NGOs unleashed upon the FSB initiative. The document was signed by Yuri Dzhibladze, president of Centre for Development of Democracy and Human Rights; Elena Bonner, head of Andrei Sakharov Foundation; Sergey Kovalev, Oleg Orlov, Alexander Daniel, Alexander Cherkasov - representatives of the "Memorial" Centre; Anna Karetnikova, Anti-war club coordinator; Mikhail Kriger, one of the leaders of the Committee for Anti-war Action; Stanislav Dmitrievskiy, director of the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society; Svyatoslav Zabelin, co-chair of Socio-environmental Union, and other well-known civil society activists.