Moscow’s Formal Exit from CoE Convention on Ethnic Minorities Likely Presages Even More Russian Oppression of These Groups, Kulayeva Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Aug. 20 – In the past month, the Kremlin has not only labelled 55 ethnic activist groups extremist but also formally exited the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on National Minorities, two actions that likely presage even more oppression of these groups by the Russian authorities, Stefaniya Kulayeva says.

            The Memorial analyst says that while the former has received attention (windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2024/07/moscow-labels-55-groups-it-says-are.html), the latter has received far less because Moscow has long ignored the framework convention’s requirements for pro-active moves (moscowtimes.ru/2024/08/20/v-pamyat-o-rossiiskom-uchastii-v-konventsii-soveta-evropi-o-zaschite-prav-natsionalnih-menshinstv-a139906).

            But having formally cancelled Russia’s membership in the convention, Kulayeva suggests, Moscow will feel less constrained against taking action against minorities. Moreover, she points out, Moscow is working hard to prevent ethnic activists from presenting information about their travails to the UN and other bodies. (On that, see windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2024/07/putin-regime-often-seeks-to-take-over.html).

            One can only hope, she says, that the international community will seek to learn the truth and allow representatives of these peoples to report it. Otherwise, the future for the national minorities in the Russian Federation, and especially that of the numerically smallest of them, is likely to be very dire indeed.