I. Distribution of "Murder of an Empire" is Halted in Yoshkar-Ola

On the 20th of August a press conference was held at the National Press Institute to announce that 5000 copies of the book "Murder of an Empire" by Aidar Khalim had been seized in Yoshkar-Ola (Republic of Mari-El). Khalim is a Tatar author and poet who has published more than 20 books, several of which have garnered international acclaim. Like the majority of his previous works, "Murder of an Empire" wasn't printed in Tatarstan, but rather in Mari-El, at a publishing house in the city of Yoshkar-Ola. However, in July of this year Khalim was informed that the entire printing of "Murder of an Empire" had been seized under an order from Mari-El procurator H.M. Piksaev. The book was said to have proclaimed the superiority of the Tatar people over Russians, which if true, would violate Russian Federation law (ST 109 and 282 which outlaws the use of propaganda touting the supremacy of one nationality over another). Khalim and his supporters at the press conference vehemently denied that the book contained defamatory sentiments towards Russians; rather, they claimed the book was a serious analysis of the difficult relationship between Russians and ethnic minorities in national politics. Many at the press conference worried that the issue at hand wasn't just the seizure of "Murder of an Empire" itself, but the precedent towards censorship and repression of freedom of expression that it was establishing.

II. Moscow Chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous Celebrates its 10th Anniversary

Nearly 1000 Russian members of Alcoholics Anonymous, as well as guests from foreign chapters of AA, gathered on August 16th in Moscow to celebrate the organization's 10th anniversary. Ovations greeted program "veterans"--those who have abstained from alcohol for more than 15 years. Speakers at the anniversary celebration told stories of their discovery of the AA program--how their lives had been ruined by alcohol, how AA had given them the courage to admit that their drinking was a sickness and that they were addicted to alcohol. Because the organization protects its members anonymity, it is difficult to say how many people currently are involved in AA in Russia. Participants pay no fees or dues to attend meetings; the only program requirement is a desire to quit drinking and embrace a healthier lifestyle. Contact telephone (main office of Moscow Alcoholics Anonymous): (095) 474-0066

III. Regional Program for the Protection of Consumer's Rights is Established in Kaluga

A regional program for the protection of consumer's rights, originally proposed by the Kaluga Chamber of Commerce and the Department of Economics and Industry, has been approved by the Kaluga oblast government. Similar programs are already operating in 34 regions of Russia. The programs aim to educate consumers, create better conditions for the legal protection of their rights, and establish legal standards for quality of products and services. The Kaluga program is slated to operate from 1997 until 2001.

IV. Petersburg NGOs Take an Active Role in the Upcoming Local Elections

On September 28th local government elections will be held in St. Petersburg. The nomination of candidates has already begun, as has the formation of blocs between political parties and non- governmental groups. For instance, Rostislav Evdokimov, director of the St. Petersburg Society of Russian Collectivists and member of the International Society for Human Rights, has allied himself with the Yabloko party. The St. Petersburg office of the League of Women Voters is aiding all female candidates in distributing their pre-election materials, and has invited the candidates to submit their campaign information for publication in the League's newspaper. The League's actions illustrate one of the more complex issues in local elections--the inability of local media to provide adequate campaign coverage for all candidates.

V. Project for the Integration of the Disabled into Society Begins in Novgorod

A pilot program aimed at creating conditions to help the disabled become more integrated into society has begun in Novgorod. The project is a joint effort between both Russian and American advocacy groups for the disabled. The primary goal of the project is to create a better environment for disabled citizens in Novgorod and to expand the employment and educational opportunities available to them. Project organizers first plan to tackle societal attitudes and prejudices towards the disabled, with a special emphasis on the young. Organizers hope to get disabled youth involved in outreach programs in schools that will help educate kids about the disabled. Stanislav Ageev, project member and director of the local chapter of the Russian Society of Invalids, admits that the project can't change society's opinion of the disabled overnight, but hopefully it can "help lay the foundations for future efforts." Contact telephone (Moscow): (095) 231-9768, Valentin Krylov

VI. "Lawlessness and Arbitrary Rule Continue to Reign in Russian Army," says Nizhnii Novgorod Society for Human Rights

On the 20th of August the Nizhnii Novgorod Society for Human Rights informed the media that the mothers of two soldiers, S.V. Pribytkov and A.V. Falomeev, had approached the society for help. The mothers stated that their sons had been repeatedly subjected to beatings and insults in their military unit. On July 7, 1997, after being assaulted, the boys abandoned their unit. Two days later they were admitted to a local hospital and diagnosed with concussions. Doctors there also diagnosed Falomeev with a broken jaw. The two boys appeared on August 18th at regional military court and were arrested. Thus far, the boys' military unit has denied that any sort of wrongdoing in the case. Having evaluated the case, the Nizhnii Novgorod Society for Human Rights commented that this is another example of how civil rights are continuing to be violated in the Russian army and that victims are being punished rather than the guilty. Contact telephone: (8312) 30-0714, or 30-3998 (Viktor Gurskii, secretary for the Nizhnii Novgorod Society for Human Rights)

VII. Greenpeace States that Dzerzhinsk Should be Declared a Biohazard Zone

Activists from Greenpeace staged a protest in Dzerzhinsk (in Nizhegorod Oblast) by bringing the corpses of dead birds found in the holding tanks of a local factory to the city's administrative offices. Greenpeace claims that the birds were killed by the high concentrations of phenol found at the "Orgsteklo" factory. Tests on the birds, and on water gathered from a canal that receives waste from the factory, revealed phenol levels that were 17 million times higher than the legal limit. For many months now Greenpeace has been wrangling with city authorities, who are reluctant to petition Moscow and to have the city declared an environmentally hazardous area. Many experts believe that conditions in the city should have been considered hazardous a long time ago.

VIII. Environmental Activists & the Russian Media Join Forces

Russian environmental organizations are teaming up with media professionals to put on a conference, September 6-8, in St. Petersburg. Sponsors include the environmental information agency TEIA, ecological NGOs Zelionyi Mir and Chudskoi Project, the National Press Institute, and the Center for the Development of Non-Commercial Organizations. The focus of the conference will be on how media groups and NGOs can collaborate on establishing a regional environmental information network in northwest Russia. Such a network would aid non-governmental groups in publicizing their activities and disseminating information that impacts the environment of the region. Further information on the project and on the conference is available from TEIA.

E-Mail: [email protected]
WWW: http://www.teia.ru/

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