The Moscow office of the human rights organization Amnesty International will be opened “soon”, promised the head of the Council for human rights (HRC) Mikhail Fedotov, in an interview with Reuters.
He said that he had met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and discussed this issue.
“The lease is fully restored. They [Amnesty International] will be able to get back to the office soon. Putin informed about it,” — said Fedotov.
According to the Director of international programs of the European Amnesty International John Dalhuisen, shortly after this meeting, the group contacted the Director of the Department of city property of Moscow Vladimir Yefimov. He invited the leaders of the Moscow division of the organization to meet on Monday, November 7. According to Yefimov, there may be confusion, reports Reuters.
In the Department of urban property of Moscow failed to promptly comment on this information.
The Amnesty International office in downtown Moscow were sealed 2 Nov. The organization’s staff announced that the office inserted in new locks. They were advised to contact the Department of city property capital. The representative of the organization Alexander Artemyev said that Amnesty takes office at the Department for the last 20 years. According to him, the organization “always pays the rent”.
Press service of Department of property of Moscow in an interview with tied the replacement of locks and closing office with no payment of rent. According to representatives a press-services, the term of the lease expired in 2008 and was extended under the condition that one of the parties may withdraw from its terms, by notifying the other in three months. According to representatives of the Department, the tenants are asked to repay the debt within a month. However, the Director of the Russian representative office of Amnesty International Sergei Nikitin in an interview with stated that the organization has all the document about the payment.
The U.S. state Department and other foreign policy agencies of Western countries have expressed concern about the situation around the office international human rights organizations.
In the activities of Amnesty International is drawing attention to human rights violations in different countries. In February, the organization criticized the situation with human rights in Russia. According to experts, the country limited freedom of Assembly and Association, NGOs are persecuted. Amnesty
is engaged in drawing attention to human rights violations in different countries. In February of this year, the organization in its annual report criticized the situation with human rights in Russia. According to human rights activists in the country limited freedom of expression, Assembly and Association, and NGOs were under pressure. In addition, the experts of the Amnesty pointed out the challenges the LGBT movement in the country and criticized the actions of Russian troops in Syria, believing that the operation resulted in the suffering civilian population.
