25 May 2004 15:18
Russian human rights activists deny official`s allegations of criminal ties
[Presenter] The first deputy head of the Russian Justice Ministry's main penal directorate [GUIN], Valeriy
Krayev, made a surprising statement today [7 May]. According to him, Russian human rights organizations get financial
support from criminal groups. Krayev also accused those organizations of links with [Russian emigre tycoon] Boris
Berezovskiy. A human rights activist responded to this statement with indignation, threatening to take the Justice
Ministry's official to court. Fedor Makarov has the details.
[Correspondent] Police information has it that some of the so-called human rights organizations are sponsored by
criminal structures, Valeriy Krayev, GUIN first deputy head, has announced. He said that human rights activists had a
hand in riots that recently happened in penal institutions in Irkutsk and Chelyabinsk Regions. Some oligarchs, and Boris
Berezovskiy in particular, also had a role to play in them, Krayev said. He went on to add that oligarchs were providing
financial support to so-called human rights organizations. What we see here is a merger between oligarchs and criminals,
Krayev concluded.
Among organizations allegedly involved in instigation and provocation [of riots] he mentioned the Human Rights
Movement led by Lev Ponomarev, a committee for helping prisoners and others - a total of 163 organizations. For her
part, the president of the Helsinki International Federation and the head of the Moscow Helsinki Group, Lyudmila
Alekseyeva, described Krayev's statement as outrageous and opportunistic.
[Alekseyeva] First, the statement is outrageous. Second, it is very surprising. GUIN is a structure with which human
rights activists have established better relations than with any other structure of power. We have permanent contacts
with GUIN, we got their permit for our partners in the regions to visit prisons. We have written a report on
prisoners' situation in different regions of Russia. GUIN did not accept all of our critical remarks, but
nonetheless we presented our report to the Justice Ministry.
This is an opportunistic statement. The thing is that there has been a wave of protests, even cases of people cutting
their veins were registered at a number of penal institutions. Obviously the Justice Ministry and GUIN leadership have
taken our criticism very painfully. So this is a clumsy attempt to shift the blame on human rights activists. This is
inappropriate.
[Correspondent] Speaking about some human rights activists' plans to file a lawsuit against GUIN over the above
allegations, Alekseyeva fully supported them. Ponomarev said he intended not only to sue Krayev for moral damages, but
also to make him resign. He has discredited his department; he made a very serious statement and must bear
responsibility for what he said, Ponomarev believes. Alekseyeva agreed with her colleague. At the same time she voiced
the hope that this misunderstanding will be settled.
[Alekseyeva] Ponomarev is accused of getting money for his organization from criminal sources. Since Ponomarev is a
member of the Moscow Helsinki Group, I can say with certainty that this is a lie. I work in close contact with his
organization and I know what they do and their sources of funding very well. This is an absolute lie and libel.
Ponomarev said he would go to court. I support him because one shouldn't make such irresponsible statements. But I
hope this regrettable conflict between the human rights community and GUIN will be settled.
[Correspondent] Russian human rights organizations hope that the leadership of GUIN or the Justice Ministry will
shortly denounce the statement by one of their officers about the organizations' links to criminal structures.
[Radio Mayak] |
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