On November 8, MP Yegor Sobolev visited the UHHRU’s office and offered the Union to join the system of collective safety of public activists.

Yegor Sobolev considers the response of the law enforcement bodies to the attacks on the public activists inadequate. But even should it be adequate, such cases shall be prevented. In order to prevent the assaults, it is necessary to create an alert system and register of the activists at risk. Each activist having convincing information about possible assaults on him/her will be registered in this network, providing he/she is recognized as public activist. “We want to create the cluster of cooperation, – said Yegor Sobolev. – It will include a number of organizations. An activist will have an opportunity to apply to us through hot line telephones. Further on we will direct him/her to the partner organizations”. MP offered the lawyers of the network of the UHHRU public reception offices to provide legal support to the activists at risk.

Helsinki Union Executive Director Oleksandr Pavlichenko said, that organization was ready to join this project. But at that he reminded Yegor Sobolev, that the pressure on the activists would not be just limited to threats and assaults: it was complex and had started with the Law on electronic declarations for anti-corruption activists. “The trend of the state’s attacks on the activists shall be reversed, – said Oleksandr Pavlichenko. – The talks about possible introduction of the law on so called “foreign agents” is also inadmissible, as it can duplicate the Russian law and become a handy tool for the authorities to impose pressure on the civil society organizations”.

Coalition for the Protection of Civil Society, including at the moment 57 organizations, can also help in creation of this network. At the end of the discussion the participants agreed on further cooperation.

Text and photo – Oleg Shynkarenko