HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN LUKIN AGREES WITH USG

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MOSCOW 006389 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2016 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KDEM PINR RS SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN LUKIN AGREES WITH USG PROPOSALS ON U.S-RUSSIAN HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE REF: STATE 096299 Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Kirk Augustine. Reason 1.4 (b, d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. In a June 14 meeting, Human Rights Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin agreed with the proposals put forward by EUR DAS David Kramer regarding a U.S.-Russian human rights dialogue. Lukin shared the view that it would be beneficial to announce the creation of the dialogue at the G8 summit. He also agreed that the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace should play the lead role in the effort. Lukin said the GOR could likely provide some funding for the initiative, which, could be titled "Roundtable on Democracy and Human Rights." Lukin said that as a next step he would discuss the idea, now in its more developed form, with Kremlin Foreign Policy Advisor Sergey Prikhodko, as well as consulting further with Carnegie and the Embassy. In response to Kramer's question regarding Mikhail Khodorkovskiy, Lukin said that Khodorkovskiy's wife and lawyer had good access to the imprisoned former Yukos CEO. Lukin also theorized that Procurator General Dmitriy Ustinov was removed because he had committed some specific misdeed, rather than for political reasons. END SUMMARY. HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY ROUNDTABLE -------------- ¶2. (C) Kramer told Lukin that the USG welcomed Lukin's idea (reftel) for a U.S.-Russian human rights and democracy experts discussion, and hoped it might be announced by the President and President Putin at the G8 Summit. He noted that the USG envisioned having the dialogue begin in the fall, preferably September. Lukin agreed that a Summit announcement by the two presidents would give the initiative more stature, and concurred with Kramer's point about the timing. ¶3. (C) To help organize the initiative, Kramer suggested finding an NGO that had offices in both Moscow and Washington. He noted that the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace met those criteria and had expressed interest in organizing the event. Lukin agreed that Carnegie was a good choice and added that he had long and positive experience working successfully with Moscow Carnegie Center Director Rose Gottemoeller. Kramer noted that he had met earlier in the day with Gottemoeller, who had welcomed the possibility of Carnegie playing a major role in the 
initiative. ¶4. (C) Turning to operational details, Lukin agreed with Kramer that Carnegie would invite the participants, which would include some government representatives. Lukin also concurred with Kramer that it was important to limit the number of participants to about eight to ten people on each side. Lukin thought it was a good idea to have Carnegie come up with the themes for discussion, with each government having the right to suggest themes as well. Regarding funding, Kramer said that government participants could pay their own way, Carnegie could seek a grant to cover costs, but that both the USG and GOR might provide a small amount of funding. In response, Lukin told Kramer that the GOR could likely provide funding. Lukin agreed with Kramer that it would be important for funding to be fully transparent, with decisions on how funds are spent to be left to Carnegie after it consulted with both governments. Regarding what the initiative would be called, Lukin agreed that a name like "Roundtable on Democracy and Human Rights" would be appropriate. ¶5. (C) Lukin said that the GOR had found similar discussions on human rights with other European countries useful, and that a roundtable could help strengthen U.S.-Russian relations. He pledged to speak with Kremlin Foreign Policy Advisor Prikhodko about the proposal when Prikhodko returns from his current trip to China, and added that he would also have follow up discussions with the Ambassador and Gottemoeller. KHODORKOVSKIY -------------- ¶6. (C) Kramer expressed concern about the treatment of imprisoned former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovskiy. Lukin stated that the courts had recently upheld the decision to transfer Khodorkovskiy to Chita, but also ruled that Khodorkovskiy's transfer to solitary confinement as a punishment for possessing Ministry of Justice documents on prisoners' rights was illegal. In response to Kramer's question regarding access for Khodorkovskiy's lawyers and wife, Lukin responded that while there had been some issues, MOSCOW 00006389 002 OF 002 overall they had decent access to Khodorkovskiy. USTINOV -------------- ¶7. (C) Turning to the political situation more broadly, Lukin said that the GOR was focusing at the moment on a successful G8. Noting that the Kremlin was secretive, he pointed to the June 2 removal of Procurator General Vladimir Ustinov as an example. Lukin suggested that even some of the figures who had implemented the decision had not known about it until the last minute. Ustinov had been removed because Putin had received some specific troubling information about him, Lukin speculated. If Putin had him fired as part of a shift of power within the Kremlin, he would had immediately offered a replacement as Procurator General, Lukin theorized. ¶8. (U) DAS Kramer did not have an opportunity to clear this cable. BURNS