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,

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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