Rights activists list Caucasians as group with highest risk of rights violations

Moscow hosts a scientific-practical conference "European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR): Outcomes and Prospects". Among other issues, lawyers, human rights and NGO activists raised the issue of protecting natives of the Caucasus in Moscow and other Russian cities, where they get into the most vulnerable group of population.

The conference is held in the Library of Foreign Literature named after Rudomino, which was also one of its organizers. The Council of Europe's Information Office in Russia, Moscow Humanities University and Institute of State and Law of the Russian Academy of Sciences are among the co-organizers.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports that many participants noted that in Moscow and other Russian cities natives of the Caucasus have their rights often prejudiced; this is the most vulnerable group, often viewed by law enforcers as a source of additional income.

"Very few of our citizens go to court after their human rights are broken. Migrants don't go at all, seeing the results ineffective. Therefore, national minorities are thousand times more likely to bribe an official than hope for a fair trial. Thousands from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan live in Moscow," said Ashot Airapetyan, director of the Centre for Interethnic Cooperation.

He noted that his organization is using British technologies to protect human rights. According to his story, in Great Britain national minorities are often hesitant to go to court; therefore, they set up special police units, where officers are themselves minority members.

Michael Kusov from the Foundation "Youth for Human Rights" said that the main problem, in his opinion, is to enlighten people on human rights and to achieve the broadest possible dissemination of the respective information.

Liudmila Ulyashina, manager of the organization "Network of Human Rights Houses", noted that the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) is just swamped with citizens' complaints.

Boris Panteleyev, executive director of the Agency of Legal Information "Man and Law", believes that Russia lacks unified legal space; and it should be created.

"Russia faces an acute problem of legal nihilism of law enforcers. The militia is voting with their hands and feet for immediate restoration of death penalty. The Prosecutor's Office supports the return of this punishment. They're very fierce. Judges are more modest in expressing their opinions, but also speak about return of death penalty behind the scene. It is surely very far from the ECHR," Mr Panteleyev said.