LOCAL News :: G8 2006 Protests

Declaration by legal team

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alice

Date Created

13 Jul 2006

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Declaration of the group for legal security for activists “Legal Team“

In connection to the systematic cases of repression against participants of the Russian Social Forum (RSF), but also simple citizens travelling to Saint Petersburg in July, which have happened in the last days, we express our concern and hold it necessary to address directly the participants of these events, that is the police officers, that issue and carry out illegal orders, but also railway workers and the management of mobile phone companies, which contribute to the violations of human rights

All repressive activities by police officers – forcing regional activists to sign declarations of non-leaving their cities, demands to write explanatory letters about the objectives of their trip to Saint Petersburg, removing activists from trains, arrests and detentions – are unfounded and illegal. These are no single cases, but enforced by the inner-departmental “instructions” of the operations “Highway Interception” and “Shield”

A characteristic feature of the repressions against activists is the operation of law enforcement authorities in cooperation with companies providing services to the population, for example, OAO “Russian Railways” and mobile phone providers. A passenger of the Russian Railways must know that every single of his movement is closely controlled, and a mobile phone user must be aware that every single one of his words will be intercepted and provided for surveillance.

In the very same year when Russia is chairing the „G8“ and the Council of Europe, our citizens are faced with the fact that their right to freedom of movement, to participation in peaceful meetings, to expression of their opinion is arbitrarily limited by state representatives in cooperation with commercial structures.

Therefore,

We turn to the leadership of OAO „Russian Railways“ and to the management of mobile phone companies doing business on the Russian market, with a demand to respect Human Rights (the sanctity of private life, the freedom of movement, the the protection of privacy of telephone calls and others).
We also call on those companies that have not yet become participants in the violations of human rights to refrain from participation in illegal repressive activities. And we remind you, that a reputation that in one day has been stained by spying out citizens, is practically impossible to restore.

We turn to the heads of the law enforcement department and to their rank and file officers.
Being guided by the motivation to protect the security of participants of the G8 summit and to protect “state interests”, take as your foundation of your operations the principle of lawfulness and respect for human rights. Remember, that - so far - you are law enforcement authorities, not “powers”, and even less “repression and control bodies”.

We turn to the activists and to all not indifferent citizens with a call to be vigilant and to wage complaints immediately against all illegal activities of employees of the law enforcement bodies, and also to report facts of pressure to the “hot line”:

Legal Team: Tel. 8-911-762-92-38, 8-911-762-92-47, legalteam (at) googlegroups.com

2006-07-12

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Re: Declaration by legal team

06 Jan 2007

by Anonymous Poster

LOCAL News :: G8 2006 Protests

Declaration by legal team

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