Continued Loss of Independent Voices in Russia, Study Shows

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Washington, D.C. -- September 27, 2007 -- Steps by the Russian government to restrict opposition political parties and civil society activity over the past two years is substantially constraining the country’s political process in advance of December’s parliamentary elections, according to a new report released by Freedom House.

Countries at the Crossroads, an annual survey of government performance in 30 strategically important countries worldwide, shows a decline in the democratic character of governance in Russia since 2005. In addition to legislation restricting the work of nongovernmental organizations and the ability of political parties to register and participate in elections, the report found a reduction in press freedom and increased restrictions on freedom of assembly.

The narrative and scores from Countries at the Crossroads 2007 for Russia are available online in English and Russian.

“The already diminished political space in Russia for civil society and democratic activists to provide independent viewpoints is rapidly closing further in advance of December’s elections,” said Jennifer Windsor, executive director of Freedom House. “By adopting draconian legislative measures over the past two years, the Russian government has made it more difficult--and in some respects, dangerous--for citizens to express an independent viewpoint or participate in the political process in a meaningful way.”

Civil society has been a clear target of the Russian government during the two-year period analyzed in the new Freedom House report. Efforts to monitor and restrict the work of nongovernmental organizations have intensified, particularly towards those groups that promote human rights and democratic processes. In August 2007, the International Youth Human Rights Movement, an organization that links more than 1,000 young human rights defenders and civic activists from several countries, was shut down at the demand of Russia’s Federal Registration Service (FRS). The organization was punished for not filing reporting paperwork on time, though the group insists it did comply with the law. Several international and domestic groups have cited similar administrative challenges leading up to the December parliamentary elections.

Meanwhile, Russia remains the most dangerous place in the world for journalists, after Iraq and Colombia. The tragic 2006 murder of Anna Politkovskaya was an indication that journalists reporting on controversial topics do so at their peril. Since then, Russian authorities have used a full constellation of control methods – regulatory, economic, and judicial, as well as harassment and intimidation – to strengthen the government’s hold over the media.

“While a number of courageous journalists remain, the current environment serves as an effective deterrent from true investigative reporting on controversial or important issues,” said Damian Murphy, senior program manager for Russia at Freedom House. “As a result, it is unlikely that Russian citizens will have adequate access to information to make informed choices in the December elections.”

The Freedom House survey, Countries at the Crossroads, provides a comparative evaluation of government performance in four touchstone areas of democratic governance: Accountability and Public Voice, Civil Liberties, Rule of Law, and Anticorruption and Transparency. This survey examines these areas of performance in a set of 30 countries that are at a critical crossroads in determining their political future. Russia’s scores were downgraded in all four baskets this year.

The full report of Countries at the Crossroads was released on September 25, 2007. Individual country reports are being released separately over the next week in order to allow for greater attention to the reports’ findings.

Freedom House, an independent nongovernmental organization that supports the expansion of freedom around the world, has been monitoring political rights and civil liberties in Russia since 1972.

Source: Freedom House