Political repression continues unabated in the Russian Federation; with the number of political prisoners or people whose persecution is linked with a wish by the state authorities and officials to strengthen their positions and control over different spheres of life, according to various estimates, standing at about 200

We believe that clear and unequivocal condemnation of the crime committed by Soviet State bodies following the decision of the leadership, a statement of steps planned to bring the Katyń case out of a dead end could be a turning point in the relations between Russia and Poland

The fortitude, courage and valiant deeds of people defending their country in the years of War have been and remain a spiritual legacy for the entire nation, and nobody has the right to make use of this legacy at their will. Any attempt to rewrite this legacy in Stalin’s name is nothing more than pillage and blasphemy

The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns today’s court decision to release Ibragim Yevloyev, the high-ranking security officer who shot and killed independent Ingush publisher Magomed Yevloyev (no relation to the killer) in police custody in August 2008.

Yury Luzhkov has told a meeting of the Moscow Government that the posters depicting Joseph Stalin will be posted around Moscow not only for the 65th anniversary of Victory, but at subsequent ceremonial events

A court in the Arkhangelsk region has refused to grant historian Igor Sutiagin sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for “State treason” early conditional release, the reasons being as offensively trumped up as his conviction

2 March 2010 is the eightieth birthday of Sergei Kovalev, human rights defender, former political prisoner, first Russian Federation Human Rights Ombudsperson and Chair of the Russian “Memorial” Historical-Educational and Human Rights Society

The Krasnodar Youth Group for Tolerance ETHnIKA has encountered constant harassment and obstruction from the authorities since 2007. In 2009 the pressure sharply increased, ending with a criminal investigation being initiated against the Head of ETHnIKA. Anastasia Denisova

We do not know exactly who organized the attack on Vadim Karastelev. However we can confidently assume that this was no coincidence but the latest episode of pressure on independent civic activists or settling scores with them

Novorossiysk human rights defender Vadim Karastelev was attacked and badly beaten on Saturday. He is representing Alexei Dymovsky, the senior Russian police officer sacked for libel after alleging corruption in the force, and had only just been released after 7 days in custody for distributing leaflets calling people to a rally in Dymovsky’s defence

Oleg Orlov, Head of the Memorial Human Rights Centre believes there is a danger that political considerations will prevent the crime being solved

"Thank you for your support, for your belief in goodness and the triumph of justice, for your refusal to accept the official lies of the authorities. Your letters help me to bear up and stand firm – thank your for your concern!” PLEASE show your support!

The Moscow authorities are planning from April to place as social advertisements, i.e. using public funding, numerous images of Joseph Stalin, linking this with the 65th anniversary of Victory. We consider this to be not only an affront to the memory of the millions of victims of Stalin’s tyranny, but also an act aimed at creating a schism in society

Natalya Estemirova is among 19 journalists murdered in retaliation for their work in Russia since 2000, CPJ research shows. Murder convictions have been won in only one case and, even there, the masterminds have evaded punishment.

“They will be information stands which talk about the role of the Chief Commander in the great victory”, a source from the Moscow Committee for Advertising, Information and Presentation stated

From that terrible year when the entire world learned the name Beslan, Elvira Goryukhina has been reading the essays and letters of children who lived through the tragedy with students in Novosibirsk region schools. The following is from her Teacher’s Diary published in the newspaper “Novaya”.

The Russian security forces have claimed that as a result of a security operation a large illegal armed group had been destroyed, while denying that there had been any victims among the civilian population.

The police are supposedly interested as to whether “Grani” is publishing material calling for the overthrow of the constitutional order or inciting inter-ethnic enmity

To the chagrin of democracy advocates, activists jailed in Uzbekistan often receive little public attention. Not so with this month’s arrest of journalist Khairullo Khamidov, whose case has sparked an unusually strong wave of protest

A court in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) has found the well-known photographer Umida Akhmedova guilty, but immediately applied an amnesty. According to the official wording, she was found guilty of having defamed the image of Uzbekistan by creating portraits of only the poor and dispossessed