UK Criticizes Situation with Human Rights in Russia

In its annual (2010) report “Human Rights and Democracy” the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), in particular, criticized the situation with human rights in Russia.

According to the report, despite some minor reforms and encouraging public statements about human rights in 2010, there was no evidence of systemic, far-reaching change. Continuing negative trends included restrictions on freedom of assembly, harassment and obstruction of NGOs and journalists, and racial discrimination and racist violence.

No new information emerged in the investigations into the murders of the human rights defenders Anna Politkovskaya and Natalya Estemirova, or the death in custody of Sergei Magnitsky. Frequent reports of grave human rights abuses in the North Caucasus continued. The [Russian] government also failed to provide full redress to victims of past abuses in Chechnya and elsewhere in the region.