AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 000486 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/20/2018 TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL ELAB RS SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH REF: A. MOSCOW 460 ¶B. MOSCOW 461 Classified By: Ambassador William J. Burns for reasons 1.4(d). ¶1. (C) Summary: In a February 21 meeting with Human Rights Watch Moscow Director Allison Gill, the Ambassador confirmed that the Embassy would continue to press the GOR on the denial of a visa to HRW Director Kenneth Roth. Gill noted that the denial had increased publicity for the rollout of HRW's report on NGOs in Russia. Gill summarized the report, which states that the 2006 NGO law has stifled small NGOs and human rights organizations, and previewed HRW's Russia-related projects for the coming year. End Summary. Visa Denial for HRW Director Kenneth Roth -------------- ¶2. (C) On February 21, the Ambassador met with Human Rights Watch (HRW) Moscow Director Allison Gill and Deputy Director Sasha Petrov. HRW Executive Director Kenneth Roth was unable to attend because the Russian Consulate in New York denied him a visa. Gill said that HRW was surprised by the denial, which was only the second time in the organization's history that this had happened (the first was in Nigeria). Petrov speculated that the denial was "pre-election paranoia" and said that his contact in the Foreign Ministry told him that the denial was "half technical," and implied that the decision to deny the visa was not made by the MFA. (Note: Later on February 21, the MFA released a statement on Roth's denial, noting that Roth's visa application contained false information. Roth's application, prepared by a expediter, listed Roth as a manager of the McKinsey Company working with the Ministry of Agriculture, and that he failed to note the true purpose of his visit. The MFA also stated that Roth could freely reapply without prejudice if he provided accurate information in his application. End note.) ¶3. (C) The Ambassador told Gill that he had raised the denial directly with DFM Kislyak and that the Embassy had followed up at other levels at the MFA (reftels),and that he would continue to press the GOR on this issue. The Ambassador expressed concern that the GOR would use the Roth denial as a precedent for hampering the work of other international NGOs and asked about Roth's plans to reapply. Gill said that HRW had no plans for Roth to visit or to reapply, but would examine their schedule to see if there were any appropriate upcoming events. HRW Report on NGOs -------------- ¶4. (C) Gill presented the Ambassador with copies of the HRW report "Russia: Cut Red Tape that Stifles NGOs" (available on the HRW website www.hrw.org),and summarized their findings that Russian NGOs, especially small NGOs, are smothered by Russian bureaucracy, and that the 2006 NGO law has intimidated many NGOs who engage in human rights and civil society. Gill said that an economic analysis of the NGO law prepared by MGU professor Aleksandr Auzan detailed the cost of the NGO law and estimated that the government would need to spend "billions more rubles" in order to administer the existing law fairly and adequately. Gill and Petrov said that the Russian government's denial of Roth's visa had greatly increased the publicity for HRW's report on Russian NGOs, which they issued at a February 20 press conference in Moscow. (Roth participated by telephone from New York.) Suggestions for Addressing Human Rights Issues in Russia -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) Gill told the Ambassador that HRW had an uneven record with the Russian government, and that she questioned the sincerity of Medvedev's February 15 speech in Krasnoyarsk, where he expounded on the importance of individual freedom and the equal application of the law. She noted that they had heard similar themes from Putin eight years ago, and that in recent years the working environment for NGOs has progressively worsened. Gill said that HRW did work well with Ella Pamfilova, the Chair of the President's Council on Human Rights, who supported their position on NGOs. "Although Pamfilova is well respected, she has trouble finding traction with the government," Gill said. (Note: On February 21, the Council's Executive Secretary William Smirnov downplayed news reports that the Council would be dissolved following the March 2 presidential elections. Smirnov said there was only a "30 percent chance" of the council actually being dissolved. End Note.) HRW Plans for 2008 -------------- ¶6. (C) Gill said that HRW is planning four main projects for the coming year. First, because Russia is a large market for migrant labor from Central Asia, HRW will prepare a report on labor and migrants, focusing on the construction industry with some attention on the Olympics construction in Sochi. Next, HRW will prepare an analysis of recent European Court of Human Rights decisions against Russia, and examine the government's record on implementing the decisions. Later in the year, HRW will issue a special report on extra-judicial executions in Ingushetiya, followed by a longer report on Chechnya. ¶7. (C) Gill said that the USG could be most helpful in supporting their work by acting in concert with Europe. "The Putin administration has very effectively used a divide-and-conquer strategy to separate the U.S. and Europeans." BURNS