22:38, 23 January 2007

The Supreme Court has stopped the "Society of Russian-Chechen Friendship"

Today, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation (RF) has upheld the decision of the Nizhni Novgorod Regional Court on liquidation of the inter-regional public organization "Society of Russian-Chechen Friendship" (SRChF). Advocate Anna Stavitskaya, who represented the interests of the Society at the highest judicial instance of the country, has informed the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot" that now the SRChF intends to apply for justice to the European Court for Human Rights. The complaint to Strasbourg will indicate the infringement by the authorities of the Russian Federation of Articles 10 (freedom of expression) and 11 (freedom of assembly and association).

To observe the proceedings, an impressive group of European diplomats has appeared at the RF Supreme Court: representatives of the European Commission, embassies of Austria, Germany, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and others. Apart from the European diplomats, the trial was also monitored by activists of human rights organizations.

Author: Vyacheslav Feraposhkin, CK correspondent