Antisemitism in Russia's Regions 1999 - 2000

RECOMMENDATIONS

For the United States Government:

· Keep channels of communications open between US government officials and human rights and Jewish organizations and urge the Russian side to seek similar consultations from its NGO community.

· Place human rights, religious freedom and antisemitism issues routinely on the agenda for bi-lateral meetings between Russia and the United States. Emphasize to the Russian government that human rights and other civil society issues are essential components of true economic reform.

· Urge the Russian government to take legal action against antisemitic extremist groups and individuals, encourage the Duma to pass a strong law against extremism and to repudiate the 1997 law on religion.

· Maintain and expand United States assistance programs in the area of civil society, democracy, human rights, rule of law and religious freedom, with special emphasis on grassroots monitoring and advocacy.

· Continue to provide a strong humanitarian response to the problem of refugees in the former Soviet Union, including vulnerable religious minorities like Jews and Evangelical Christians, through a generous US refugee admissions program.

· Support the inclusion of strong human rights considerations in guidelines for the approval of new loans or other forms of bi-lateral and multi-lateral assistance.

· Hold Russia strictly accountable for blocking the emigration or the right to travel abroad of Jews and other Russian citizens on the basis of their supposed access to state secrets by denying Russia graduation from the Jackson-Vanik process.

For the Russian Government:

· Through the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Federal Security Service (FSB), vigorously investigate and prosecute antisemitic and extremist organizations and individuals, and incidents of hate crimes, under the currently existing law prohibiting the incitement of ethnic or religious hatred (Article 282 of the Criminal Code). Redirect FSB resources currently being used to investigate and prosecute religious minorities, environmental scientists, and human rights NGOs towards the crucial task of fighting extremism.

· Encourage the Duma to enact the draft law "On Political Extremism" to bolster the Article 282-based efforts to confront antisemitic extremism.

· Mandate that the Russian Department of Justice issue annual reports on hate crimes in Russia, with the input of Russian and foreign NGOs.

Antisemitism in Russia's Regions 1999-2000

· Provide effective police protection to endangered Jewish and other minority religious and community sites.

· Repudiate the 1997 law on religion and introduce legislation in the Duma to restore full freedom of religion in Russia.

· Dismiss Russian federal officials in regional and/or municipal offices who collaborate with, or are tolerant of, extremist groups and individuals.

· Undertake reform of the police, prosecutors and courts to promote rule of law as a primary value in Russian political culture.

· End the practice of blocking the emigration or the right to travel abroad of Jews and other Russian citizens on the basis of their supposed access to state secrets.

· Integrate human rights and civil society issues into the agenda for economic reform. The high levels of foreign and domestic investment that Russia needs to revive its economy will not appear unless rule of law is established.