21:00, 11 September 2012

AI is concerned about persecution of rights defenders and journalists in Russia

The Amnesty International (AI) has expressed its concern about the situation around Igor Kalyapin, Chairman of the Inter-Regional Public Organization "Committee Against Torture", and other human rights defenders and journalists.

The AI's statement released on September 10 says that currently law enforcers are running a check in relation to Igor Kalyapin, which may lead to initiation of a criminal case.

"The AI has learned that agents of the FSB and the Investigatory Committee had summoned for questioning a number of journalists in the context of their published materials, which were based on the data obtained from Igor Kalyapin. Also, the data was received that in the past few days, investigators sent similar summons to the people who had written letters in support of Igor Kalyapin," says the statement.

Let us note here that the website of the Presidential Council for Civil Society Institutions and Human Rights is conducting an online voting for candidates to the renovated Council. The list of candidates nominated from Northern Caucasus includes Igor Kalyapin, who has won 13.6 percent of votes.