On May 19^th the Civil Society Institutions and Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation held a working meeting chaired by President Medvedev to discuss the volatile situation in the North Caucasus. The discussion, which was the first of its kind to be held at such a high level, focused on ways the federal government can improve the increasingly deteriorating security environment in the region and concentrated on three main topics: insurgency recruitment among the youth, unemployment and corruption -- the last of which Medvedev called a direct threat to national security.

The chairwoman of the Council, Ella Pamfilova, acknowledged the problem with corruption in the region and stated that systematic pressure from “the authorities at different levels” on human rights activists, journalists and public experts is undermining the federal government’s efforts to combat corruption in the North Caucasus. In what seemed to be veiled criticism of regional leaders, Pamfilova called on the authorities to stop “equating journalists, political opponents and human rights activists with ‘terrorists’ accomplices.’” On their part, numerous activists identified the indiscriminate tactics of local and federal security services and the culture of impunity for rights violators as major catalysts for ongoing violence and the spread of extremism.

President Medvedev heard testimonies from more than a dozen prominent activists who participated in the discussion, including Lyudmila Alexeyeva with the Moscow Helsinki Group, Tanya Lokshina with Human Rights Watch, Magomed Mucolgov with MASHR and Alexander Cherkasov with Memorial, among others. Medvedev endorsed Alexeyeva’s suggestion to hold a major conference that would bring together human rights activists and politicians in the North Caucasus and instructed his newly-installed envoy to the region, Alexander Khloponin, to take heed. Excerpts from the transcript of the civil society meeting can be found on the ACPC website.

Related articles:
President Medvedev listens to suggestions from North Caucasus human rights activists
Kommersant, May 20, 2010 (in Russian)
Medvedev says N. Caucasus corruption threatens national security
Ria Novosti, May 19, 2010
NGO leaders had their say on the situation in the North Caucasus at the meeting with Medvedev and Khloponin
Caucasian Knot, May 19, 2010
Participants of the Civil Society Institutions and Human Rights Council meeting
Kremlin.ru, May 19, 2010 (in Russian)
The verbatim record of the meeting of the Council for the Promotion of Civil Society Institutions and Human Rights
Kremlin.ru, May 19, 2010 (in Russian)