I. Revanchism and Extremism Are Undergoing a Rebirth In the Russian Provinces

On November 3, the Anti-Fascist Youth Movement (AFYM) held a press conference in Moscow to report on the results of a tour of Russian cities the group undertook from August to October of this year. The purpose of the thirty-city tour was to evaluate the growth of both democratic and nationalist/communist movements in the provinces, hold anti-fascist rallies, and spread the word about the Youth Movement's activities via the local media. Participants in the tour came to the conclusion that "nationalist/communist sentiments and extremist forces are strongly influencing the governments and societies of Russia's provinces."

The Anti-Fascist Youth Movement's chairman, Petr Kaznacheev, believes that revanchism and extremism are undergoing a "second birth" in the Russian provinces. The power of extremist groups is growing and many of them present a real threat to democracy. Above all, in Kaznacheev's opinion, it is the Liberal Democratic Party that acts as the leader of the extremist pack. The party's regional offices are well-equipped and even have their own internal transportation system. The Russian National Unity party is another leading group, with the stated goal of "bringing fascism to the local level." In the Russian Federation's southern oblasts, where Cossacks have traditionally held power, many Cossack organizations are joining with Russian National Unity. Representatives from the AFYM believe that Russia's Communist Party, thanks to skillful camouflage of their activities, no longer appears to be an extremist organization. However Kaznacheev gave the following examples in an attempt to show the extent to which the "red belt" is encircling certain regions: in the Kuzbass region, Party cells are forming again at factories and industrial plants; in Voronezh, lamp posts are decorated with swastikas; and in Severodvinsk, the mayor refused to allow AFYM to hold a protest against the autumn military conscription, on the basis that "the administration doesn't see any sense in such an action."

However, in contrast with the "red belt" regions, AFYM activists label provincial cities such as Tomsk, Saratov, Novgorod, Ekaterinburg and Perm as "white belt" areas. These cities foster active human rights and protest movements and encourage the development of democratic institutions. In fact, in the latest local legislative elections held in Saratov, not one Communist candidate emerged victorious.

II. Glasnost Defense Fund Speaks Out Against Rights Violations in Turkmenistan

On November 6, the Glasnost Defense Fund issued a statement signed by Fund president Aleksei Simonov that contained information about the detainment of journalist Evshan Annakurbanov in Turkmenistan. Annakurbanov, a correspondent for Radio Freedom in Turkmenistan, was prevented from boarding a flight to Prague (where he was to attend a conference) and is now being held in Ashkhabad. According to news sources, a computer diskette containing information from Turkmen opposition groups was found in Annakurbanov's luggage, concealed among some cassette tapes.

Official charges haven't yet been brought against Annakurbanov, but he remains in solitary confinement. His apartment was searched and his fax machine and computer were confiscated by police. According to information from the journalist himself, in June he was approached by officials from Turkmenistan's National Safety Committee and told to stop working for Radio Freedom. But Annakurbanov had lost the privilege of publishing in the official Turkmenistan press (which is the only media source in the country) after being previously incarcerated for more than six months on charges brought by the National Safety Committee in 1995 and considered his situation hopeless. He was unable to find other work and thus continued to work for Radio Freedom. Annakurbanov insists that he has never been part of any political organization and has never criticized the government. His wife has stated that the diskette in question was secretly placed in Annakurbanov's luggage by National Safety Committee personnel while they were searching him.

The Glasnost Defense Fund has appealed to the Turkmenistan government for Annakurbanov's immediate release and is calling upon all international human rights organizations to join the protest against rights violations in Turkmenistan.

III. Expose of Trade in Russian Women Angers All - Except Russian Officials

The results of a two-year investigation into the sale of women from Russia and other former Soviet republics into prostitution in foreign countries was presented at an international conference held in Moscow on November 3-5. The conference was organized by the "Sisters" Center (in Moscow), together with the World Survival Network and the International League of Human Rights. The conference attracted the attention of the Russian public and press, as well as media organizations from around the world. Government officials taking part in the conference included Deputy Minister of Justice Lyudmila Zadavskaia, deputy chief from the Ministry of Labour and Social Development Olga Samarina, and several representatives from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. However, representatives from the General Procurator's office, the Federal Immigration Service and the National Guard all declined to attend the conference. Also absent from the event were members of the presidential commission on human rights and the federal Department of Human Rights.

A report given at the conference revealed that Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union (including Ukraine and Latvia) have become the leading "exporters" of women in the international prostitution market. Thousands of women from the Russian Federation have become victims of such exploitation, but human rights organizations and the "importing" governments have remained indifferent to their plight. The majority of these governments underestimate the scale of the sex-trade problem in their countries and characterize it instead as an issue of illegal immigration, resulting in the women being treated as criminals rather than victims.

Participants at the conference agreed that in order to halt the growth of trade in women, certain measures must be taken immediately. First, the government should strengthen controls over the activities of private matchmaking services and modeling agencies, as it is usually through these false enterprises that women are sent abroad. Next, the government should set up special offices in its foreign consulates and embassies to which women could turn for help if the need arose. Additionally, the participants recommended that a public awareness campaign on the issue be developed for young girls. One of the first steps that needs to be taken is to create special centers for victims of the sex-trade. At present, only one such organization exists in the countries of the CIS--"La Strada" in Ukraine.

According to Yuri Gibladze, Russian Federation representative to the International League of Human Rights, activists from several women's groups and human rights organizations have already agreed to meet and begin working on recommendations to present to the government on the issue.

IV. Center for Environmental Education and Information Receives Grant

The Center for Environmental Education and Information, located in Sverdlovsk oblast, has received a grant from USAID under the auspices of the ROLL (Replication of Lessons Learned) program. The Center has been operating for three years, and specializes in developing educational courses for NGOs on environmental topics. In preparing the courses, Center staff use lesson plans given to them by the US Environmental Protection Agency. But naturally, the American materials don't have much practical application for Russian environmentalists since they focus on American laws, economic principles and government structures. In response to this problem, Center staff decided to adapt the materials for use in Russia. They solicited help from lawyers, experts in environmental science, professors from local institutes of higher learning, and specialists on economic/industrial transition. In the course of the next five months, the new, Russian-oriented course will be presented at seminars in Ekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Kamensk-Ural and Surgut. The Center hopes to publish a book presenting the results of the seminars.

Contact telephone: (3432) 51-0211 (Larisa Strukova or Aleksandr Yashin) E-mail: [email protected]

V. Soup Kitchen for the Homeless Opens in St. Petersburg

A new cafeteria for the homeless opened in St. Petersburg on November 4. The project was organized by "Caritas," a Catholic charitable organization, together with the Maltese Aid Service and a Franciscan monastery. The cafeteria will be open from noon until 3:00 pm every week day, and plans to feed up to 300 homeless people each day, serving hot boullion, sweet tea, and bread with cheese and sausage. Fruit and yogurt will also be offered when available. The names of the cafeteria's homeless patrons will be entered into a registration book. To be eligible to take advantage of the cafeteria's services, people must show a passport (without a residence permit) or show proof that they are registered as a homeless person.

The majority of the kitchen's resources were organized by German citizen Doris Epple. On her own initiative, Ms. Epple took it upon herself to solicit and collect donations for the cafeteria.

Contact telephone: (812) 272-7838

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