Human rights activists ask Merkel to ban the governor of the Krasnodar Territory to enter Germany

At the 30th anniversary of the Moscow Helsinki Group that was marked in Moscow on May, Vadim Karastelyov, expert of the NGO "Novorossisk Human Rights Committee," offered the participants of the jubilee conference to address the FGR Chancellor Ms. Merkel not to grant an entry visa to Germany for the period of three years to Alexander Tkachov, governor of the Krasnodar Territory. This is the topic of the message of the "Novorossisk Human Rights Committee" that arrived to the editorial board of the "Caucasian Knot."

The message, in particular, runs: "Starting from 2001, Mr. Tkachov, governor of the Krasnodar Territory, is pursuing a xenophobic campaign against Meskhetian Turks, Azidis, Kurds, Khemshils, Armenians... The Administration of the Krasnodar Territory does not admit any ethnic discrimination in the region and ignores any guidelines from international organizations, for example, the UN Committee on Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (March 2003), Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (2005), "Amnesty International" (2002, 2006), Moscow Helsinki Group (2003-2005), Society "Memorial" (2003-2005)."

The application was signed by 80 human rights activists, journalists and public figures from Kaliningrad to Sakhalin, and also representatives of Khemshils, Azidis and Kurmanches who are suffering from ethnic discrimination in the Krasnodar Territory. Among the signatories were Liudmila Alexeeva, chairperson of the MHG, Yuri Orlov, one of the founders of the MHG, Alexander Byalko, "What, when, where" Experts' Club, Yuri Jibladze, Democracy and Human Rights Development Centre, Natalia Taubina, foundation "Public Verdict" and Andrei Babushkin, Committee for Civil Rights. The organizers hope to collect at least 1000 signatures, the major part - from citizens of the Krasnodar Territory.

On May 28, 2006, a meeting is planned of Liudmila Alexeeva, chairperson of the Moscow Helsinki Group, with Ms. Merkel, and the application will be handed over to her personally. The action of signature collection will last to June 15. Then, all the signatures and the Application in Russian and German will be sent to Ms. Merkel and human rights organizations of Germany, which are ready to launch a support campaign.