Karastelyov: examination of the slogan of Novorossisk human rights activists is nonobjective

The state examination, which has recognized the slogan "Freedom is not given - it is taken" to be an extremist one and "undermining the moral principles of the society", and the conclusions of this examination see complete absence of objectivity and numerous rough violations, accompanied by anti-American formulations of the cold-war times," said Vadim Karastelyov, an expert of the "Novorossisk Committee on Human Rights" (NCHR).

"The examination should be held by highly qualified lawyers-linguists, and not by philosopher Rybnikov and psychologist Guzeva," Mr Karastelyov believes.

"By the way, psychologist Guzeva is busy selecting cadre for employment in the city administration. Certainly, any independence of this sort of experts is out of question," Vadim Karastelyov said to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"The examination appeared already after the Prosecutor's Office had passed its reprimands against us; besides, the slogan was used at the action on April 4, not on April 18, when pupils of School No. 22 came up to us and asked about what we were doing in the Novorossisk Republic Square. While the Prosecutor's Office made its decision on the episode on April 18. That is, we have an impudent fabrication of extremism," said Mr Karastelyov.

"Besides, the Prosecutor's Office failed to tell us, neither orally nor in writing, what particular articles of the law had been breached by us," said the human rights activist. "Slogan texts are not applied in notifications; therefore, we constantly used this slogan at our actions as citizens, on days off, not as representatives of a non-commercial organization (NCO). Actually, the Novorossisk Public Prosecutor Alexander Kazimirov has invented a sort of know-how: you take part in actions for respect of the Constitution as a citizen, but they liquidate the organization where you work. By the way, at the Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization (ANCO) 'Novorossisk Committee on Human rights' I'm a volunteer and receive no salary for my work."

"We're worried that in parallel to our litigation, local and regional press is placing publications about human rights activists as spies and enemies. It's all not occasional; therefore citizens should be on the alert and stand for their rights," Vadim Karastelyov said to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The website "Grani.ru" remarks that none of the experts had reminded that the slogan "Freedom is not given - it is taken" is a paraphrased citation from Maxim Gorky's play "Meschane" (Bourgeois): "Rights are not given - they are taken."