Repression in Russia Increasingly Not Selective But Chaotic, Lokshina Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, November 8 – The human rights situation in the Russian Federation is getting worse with each passing year, Tatanya Lokshina of Human Rights Watch says, with the regime routinely “messing up” because it has destroyed almost all feedback loops and thus lurching from the targeted repression of the past to what is a completely chaotic approach. 

            The activist says the primary reason for this is the destruction of feedback mechanisms. That means people have fewer ways to communicate their views to the regime, but it also means the regime acts in counterproductive ways because it lacks information that could prevent it from making foolish mistakes (tv2.today/Istorii/Repressivnaya-mashina-soshla-s-katushek).

            What has just happened with the revamping of the Presidential Human Rights Council, Lokshina suggests, will only make the situation worse, although she says that she expects those who have been dropped will continue to speak out although they will not have the forum they did before.

            In ever more cases, she continues, the regimes repressive “machine” is making serious mistakes, attacking or arresting those with no connection to protests or on pretexts so transparent that all Russians can see what is going on. That explains why so many Russians are prepared to protest against abuses as they have with Pavel Ustinov who was released.

            Lokshina adds that Russia’s return to PACE will mean that PACE reporters will return to Russia and aid in identifying and calling attention to abuses that might otherwise pass unnoticed. The situation in Russian-occupied Crimea is especially dire with the regime repressing the Crimean Tatars ever more harshly and on false charges.

            As far as Chechnya is concerned, Lokshina says, Ramzan Kadyrov’s word is aw and there is no place for national or international law.  Rights workers cannot do their jobs, and Chechens are afraid to the point of panic of speaking out about anything. The situation in Ingushetia is better, but “unfortunately,” Moscow doesn’t listen to rights activists about it.

            Asked whether it is appropriate for rights activists to continue to try to have a dialogue with the authorities, the HRW official says that “human rights activists have no choice. They by their nature cannot avoid talking to the authorities or at least trying to. That’s how they work.” They cannot fail to speak out and make proposals. 

            That is one thing that despite all the repression hasn’t changed and isn’t going to.