Human Rights Commissioner concerned at prosecution of Valentina Cherevatenko

Bärbel Kofler, the Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the Federal Foreign Office, issued the following statement today (30 June 2016) on the action being taken by the Russian authorities against Valentina Cherevatenko, human rights activist and head of the NGO Union of Women of the Don:

“The prosecution of Ms Cherevatenko is cause for serious concern. Prosecuting individual representatives of civil society is a further step by the Russian authorities to curtail the activities of civil‑society organisations.

As a member of the Council of Europe, Russia must fully guarantee human rights standards. These standards are enshrined in the Russian constitution. I therefore call on the Russian Government to support rather than punish people’s active involvement in civil society and international cooperation. Restrictive laws coupled with selective enforcement create uncertainty and erode trust.”

Background information:

Proceedings were started on 22 June to prosecute Valentina Cherevatenko, head of the NGO Union of Women of the Don, the first case to be brought under ‘foreign agents’ legislation (Article 330.1 of the Russian Criminal Code). Ms Cherevatenko was not informed of this until 27 June. If convicted, she may face a fine or a prison sentence of up to two years. Previously, after being removed from the ‘agents’ register kept by the Russian Justice Ministry in April of this year, her NGO had had its premises searched and a number of documents and computers seized. This happened after Cherevatenko visited the Ukrainian army pilot Nadiya Savchenko, formerly imprisoned in Novocherkassk. Cherevatenko takes part in the civil society working group of the Petersburg dialogue. A German partner organisation has secured Eastern Partnership funding for a Ukranian‑Russian dialogue project which the NGO Union of Women of the Don is supposed to help implement.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2016/160630_MRHH_B_Tscherewatenko.html?nn=479796