#4
Voice of America
December 110, 2002
Putin Notes Human Rights Disparity in Russia
Lisa McAdams
Moscow
President Vladimir Putin has told Russia's human rights commission that
Russia still has a long way to go toward ensuring basic human rights for its
citizens. The president's comments come two days before the nation celebrates
Constitution Day.
Vladimir Putin, during a meeting with the Human Rights Commission in Moscow
President Putin said there is a big gap between constitutional guarantees of
human rights in Russia and people's every day abilities to exercise those
rights.
Mr. Putin addressed the problem in a meeting at the Kremlin Tuesday with
members of Russia's human rights commission, which was created just last year.
The president told the commission that Russia's failure to meet human rights
norms set out in the country's constitution stems mainly from a lack of money.
But he also chided officials for being, as he put it, bureaucratic and
arbitrary.
Mr. Putin said people in Russia are still subjected to irresponsible actions
by authorities at all levels and in numerous venues, from courtrooms to police
stations.
Russia's Itar-Tass news agency said the president has asked the commission to
help organize a thorough analysis of all draft laws pertaining to human rights,
in a bid to see that they are the best they can be. He also urged them to pay
more attention to letters from citizens detailing either problems with human
rights or suggestions for improvements.
But an independent human rights group, the Moscow-based Glasnost Foundation,
said Mr. Putin also has to answer for the rights abuses in the country. Sergei
Grigoriyants, the head of the Glasnost Foundation, said President Putin, by
virtue of his position, is responsible for any and all gaps of which he speaks.
Mr. Grigoriyants said the president's comments are nothing more than an
attempt by him to distance himself from human rights problems in Russia. He said
the comments aim to support what he called the Russian myth about a good czar
with good intentions who is burdened by bad bureaucrats.
Later this week, Russians will observe Constitution Day. In advance of the
two-day national holiday, President Putin said that Russians had been living in
a different country for quite some time now but many of Russia's laws, he added,
are still from another life.
President Putin says the goal for the future should be to make the Russian
nation open and effective for all.
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