Not a lot to say about the “elections” yesterday in the Russian Federation. The result was clear weeks ago, the vote-rigging also reported by most of those who did observe the performance. The detentions and violent dispersal of demonstrations must not however be ignored

The renowned human rights defender and former political prisoner has addressed the following open letter to President Putin, the Head of the Russian Federation Central Election Commission V. Churov, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs S. Lavrov.

Irina Kazulina died yesterday, 23 February, of cancer. Her husband, Belarusian political prisoner and former democratic candidate in the Presidential elections, is serving a five and a half year sentence for his opposition activities

Plans to move the monument to victims of repression are unacceptable. "We are convinced that the Solovky Stone, like the Grave of the Unknown Soldier, are sacred places, demanding special respect"

According to the federal body overseeing the media, the author’s suggestion that dark circumstances be changed for a light choice “can be interpreted as a public call for a change to the basis of the constitutional order”

The Russian Ministry for Emergencies has lodged an application with a Moscow court to suspend for 90 days the activities of the Russian Union of Journalists. This it claims is due to infringements of fire safety norms

“Voice of Beslan” is an organization of people who lost their children in the Beslan Tragedy. They are seeking the truth and are now being persecuted and need our help. Please send them your words of support – cf. http://www.khpg.org.ua/en/index.php?id=1200361352

According to Aleksanian’s representative at the European Court of Human Rights, the conditions his terminally ill client are being held in are even worse than in the remand centre

Andrei was arrested during the protest actions by business people on 21 January and has already served a term of administrative arrest, but the authorities have now come up with other charges

Drew Holiner, Vasily Aleksanian’s representative at the European Court of Human Rights reports that his lawyers have not been allowed to see their client. He stresses that this is in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights

May God help us all in this, our shared and difficult cause, to fight for observance of the law, for our right to be free individuals, for the future of our children

According to Adrian White, General Secretary of the International Federation of Journalists “Under the pretence of concern over piracy issues the government is waging a new campaign to silence its media critics”

Wanting Russia to keep its international commitments and protect the rights of all its nationals is not “interference” in the country’s internal affairs, and the motives of those leaders who suggest otherwise should be placed in question. They are your rights and ours, while their vested interest is in nobody’s interest but theirs

Repeated calls from human rights defenders in Russia and other countries, the European Court of Human Rights and as of yesterday members of the European Parliament may finally have had some effect with assurances from Russian penal authorities that the former Vice-President of YUKOS is to be moved to a civil hospital

A number of public figures, writers, actors and others in Russia have offered to vouch for Vasily Aleksanian so that his remand in custody is waived

Kosvintsev asked for political asylum at the beginning of February 2007. He stated that after a series of reports on alleged criminal links of the Governor of the Kemerovsk region, he had suffered persecution from the Russian law enforcement bodies

An urgent appeal to members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe regarding Vasily Aleksanian who could die in a Russian remand prison if we don’t help to ensure that the European Court of Human Rights and the imperative for mercy are heeded. Please help!

Vasily Aleksanian requires treatment in a proper clinic. This is demanded by Russian legislation, reiterated in repeated calls from the European Court of Human Rights and by the imperative to show mercy.

Chita remains remote and not the place where the alleged offences were committed, however after five appeals from the Russian Prosecutor General, the court now “sees no reason” not to examine new charges against Khodorkovsky and Lebedev far far away …

Vasily Aleksanian is still remanded in custody and his lawyers state he is not receiving the medical treatment which his serious condition and the European Court of Human Rights demand.