The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in cooperation with the American Committee for Peace in the Caucasus organized a series of meetings aimed at raising awareness within the European community about the alarming deterioration of the security and human rights situations in the North Caucasus. Oleg Orlov, president of the human rights organization "Memorial," Magomed Mucolgov, director of Ingushetian human rights organization "MASHR," and Bakanay Guseynova, a human rights lawyer from Dagestan addressed the ALDE on June 22, 2009.

Click here for ALDE newsletter.

Civil society in Russia continues to face growing challenges from many fronts amidst a rapidly deteriorating human rights situation. In additional to legal and bureaucratic restrictions, violence against journalists and human rights defenders is on the rise.  The recent murders of Magomed Yevloyev, Stanislav Markelov, and Anastasia Baburova, as well as the attack on Lev Ponomarev, are just the latest examples of an ever growing atmosphere of violence and impunity. The justice sector, plagued by pressure from the Kremlin, corruption, and a lack of professionalism, has so far proven unwilling or unable to find or prosecute perpetrators of the violence.  Which role can civil society play to propose a positive agenda for changes? 

Join us for a discussion with some of Russia’s leading human rights defenders on the challenges they face and how they are adapting their strategies to continue the defense of human rights in today’s Russia.

Lyudmila Alekseyeva, a veteran of the Soviet dissident movement and chair of the Moscow Helsinki Group, the oldest human rights organization in Russia, will discuss the rise of violence against journalists and human rights defenders, attack on freedom of expression and current challenges for civil society in Russia.

Andrey Yurov and Dmitry Makarov of the Youth Human Rights Movement will share their views on youth activism in Russia’s political life.