04 May 2007, 23:00
Human rights defenders to address EU on observance of human rights in Russia
Russian human rights defenders will address the European Union (EU) with a request to openly discuss with Moscow the problems that are obvious in Russia, and to demand that it should observe its international obligations.
Oleg Orlov, Chairman of the "Memorial" Human Rights Organizations, has voiced the idea to have a special chapter on human rights in the new Russia-EU Agreement, the NEWSru reports.
Liudmila Alekseeva, Chair of the Moscow Helsinki Group, has reminded that negotiations of Moscow with the West on human rights are well-known from the times of the Soviet Union.
According to the NEWSru, the human rights defenders are greatly concerned while watching the latest developments in Russia: limitations on operation of non-governmental organizations, restrictions of the freedom of speech and impunity of the crimes directed against journalists, increase of ethnic-motivated crimes and so on.
We remind you that today Chairman of the European Commission Jose Manuel Duran Barroso has called on Russia to fully respect human rights.
