 Source: HRO.org (info) Liudmila Alekseeva, chair of the Moscow Helsinki Group, comments on the decision of the State Duma to appoint Tatiana Moskalkova, parliamentary deputy and Major General in the Interior Ministry, as the Federal Ombudsperson for Human Rights. According to Alekseeva, Interior Ministry General Moskalkova will not be able to work effectively as Human Rights Ombudsperson since the post demands someone with a completely different background. 'Moskalkova’s career trajectory shows that she has worked only for the security services, where she was apparently successful. She was made a Major General when she was still young. Her experience is valuable in those structures, but it is entirely unsuitable for human rights work. It contradicts the duties of a human rights ombudsperson,' explained Alekseeva. Alekseeva believes that the best candidate would have been Vladimir Lukin, who has already held the post. Tatiana Moskalkova’s candidacy for the post of Human Rights Ombudsperson of the Russian Federation was supported by the State Duma. At the end of March 2016, President Putin relieved Human Rights Ombudsperson Ella Pamfilova of her post ahead of schedule. On 28th March she was elected as chairperson of the Central Election Commission by majority vote. The television channel Dozhd reminds us that in 2012, when the Pussy Riot affair was unfolding, Moskalkova suggested adding an article to the Criminal Code on 'offending morality.' And in April last year she suggested renaming the Interior Ministry the Cheka [the name of the former Soviet security service – trans.]. She also suggested giving police the “appropriate powers for restoring order and preserving peace and security” in times of crisis. It is entirely likely that the appointment of such a person as Human Rights Ombudsperson is intended as an unambiguous message to human rights activists and the democratic part of society. Moskalkova has already declared that “there are no political prisoners in Russia”. List of persons recognized as political prisoners by Memorial Human Rights Centre Translated by Beatrice Blythe |
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