17 09 defenders ozharovskiy

Persecution in non-party states: Russian Federation

Defending the Defenders: Protecting environmental activists from persecution Side event of non-governmental organizations at MOP6 of the Aarhus Convention. Montenegro, Budva, September, 11, 2017

Andrey Ozharovsky, IDC-Moscow and Social-Ecological Union (SEU) idc.moscow@gmail.com

Russia and Aarhus?   

Russia is not the Aarhus Convention Party.

There is the President's Order of 2011 to join the Convention, but nothing is happening.

Russian NGOs try to make pressure to the Government to join the Convention...

Andrey Ozharovsky, Budva, September 11th, 2017

Russia and Aarhus?

Many Russian NGOs think that joining the Convention is a good idea. We even have launched a campaign to lobby our Government to join. Ironically - that campaign was a reason to include some NGOs in the “foreign agents� list.

Andrey Ozharovsky, Budva, September 11th, 2017

Law on <foreign agents> Its new law defines any civil or public activity as political and demands that any independent NGO receiving foreign money be stigmatised as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;foreign agentâ&#x20AC;?, a phrase that has clear connotations of treachery.

The Economist, Jun 1st 2013 Andrey Ozharovsky, Budva, September 11th, 2017

Law on <foreign agents>

Andrey Ozharovsky, Budva, September 11th, 2017

Law on <foreign agents> Cases: <Dront Ecocenter>, Nizhny Novgorod

Andrey Ozharovsky, Budva, September 11th, 2017

Law on <foreign agents> Cases: <Dront Ecocenter>

Andrey Ozharovsky, Budva, September 11th, 2017

Law on <foreign agents> Cases: <Planet of Hopes> The only human rights and environmental NGO in Ozersk (a <closed> city of Roisatom in Urals) was elkisted as a <foreign agent>.

Nadezhda Kutepova, the NGO leader, decided to leave Russia after a dirty campaign at Federal TV and threatening her children.

Andrey Ozharovsky, Budva, September 11th, 2017

Law on <foreign agents> Cases: Evgenii Vitrishko Evgenii Vitishko, Krasnodar.

Was accused for <fence damage> and has spent 3 years in prison.

Andrey Ozharovsky, Budva, September 11th, 2017

Random Cases: Albert Garapov Albert Garapov, Kazan, Antinuclear Movement of Tatarstan has received 30 hours of <public works> for a Chernobyl Day Rally.

Andrey Ozharovsky, Budva, September 11th, 2017

Activists and NGOs persecution - Systematic, based on the <Foreign Agents> law.

- Random, based on governmental-related courts.

- Media campaign to create bad image of any nonauthorized non-governmental environmental (and human rights) activity.

Andrey Ozharovsky, Budva, September 11th, 2017

Activists and NGOs persecution This situation of violations targeting environmentalists in Russia highlights the urgent need to sign, ratify and fully implement the Aarhus Convention.

Doing so will help Russia avoid or at least reduce the magnitude of violations against environmentalists and help advance the country's environmental and human rights objectives.

Andrey Ozharovsky, Budva, September 11th, 2017

Activists and NGOs persecution in Russia

Side event of non-governmental organizations at MOP6 of the Aarhus Convention. Montenegro, Budva, September, 11, 2017

Andrey Ozharovskiy, idc.moscow@gmail.com bellona.ru / bellona.org