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11.
IN CONCLUSION: 2004 IN HIGHLIGHTS
Today there are many non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) in Russia, but few are as old as the Russian Constitution
or Russian Parliament. The NGO called Sutyajnik, founded at the same time as
the new Russian Constitution, has been fighting for human rights protected by
that Constitution and by the European Convention for the Protection of Human
Rights from its inception. Entering its second decade on 29 August 2004, NGO
Sutyajnik can look with pride on its accomplishments over the past ten years.
Sutyajnik? A Russian would tell you
that this word has a doubtful connotation; indeed, some might consider it
scandalous. A dictionary might translate sutyajnik as: «a person
inclined to sue for insufficient reasons» or «a malicious litigator». But we
see a «sutyajnik» as a person prepared to use the existing legal institutions
and mechanisms to defend his or others’ human rights, and to challenge
government when it seeks to deny or infringe upon those rights. A «sutyajnik»
believes that the Russian Constitution and the European Convention mean what
they say about human rights, and will use every legal means at his or her
disposal to realize the lofty declarations on human rights found in these
documents.
NGO Sutyajnik is a legal services
organization established on 29 August 1994 in Yekaterinburg, Russia. All of
Sutyajnik’s efforts and activities relate to important legal problems that
affect the public at large, rather than just one or two individuals.
Sutyajnik’s efforts are directed towards establishing legal practices that
correspond to international standards of human rights protection and the rule of
law in civil society. The members of Sutyajnik are primarily senior law
students, working under the leadership of experienced human rights lawyers.
Sutyajnik, the oldest human rights
protection organization in the Russian Urals, stands as a shield against
arbitrary officialdom. Sergei Beliaev, the president of Sutyajnik, tells News
Agency Sutyajnik-Press about the results of the organization’s work, about
protecting the interests of the «little» man, and about counteracting the
powerful administrative machinery of a large city.
— Sergei Ivanovich, who are lawyers
with Sutyajnik? What have lawyers gone on to do after working some time at
Sutyajnik?
— During the past decade, several
hundred lawyers have passed through Sutyajnik, young men and women studying to
become attorneys. They are now working in many spheres including business,
policy making and public prosecution. Each of them draws from those experiences
they gained during the one to two years at Sutyajnik. At present, about twenty
young lawyers are working in our organization. Some of them are still studying,
and some are defending dissertations in Russian and foreign universities. Those
with university degrees are working here full-time. Some people have worked in
the organization for a number of years.
— Does Sutyajnik coordinate its work
with similar human rights organizations from other Russian regions or other
countries?
— Certainly. Many of our projects are
implemented jointly with other organizations. Specialists from abroad conduct
seminars here and share their experiences. Our members receive training abroad.
We cooperate with such international organizations as: Interights (London),
Central European University (Budapest), Helsinki Fund for Human Rights
Protection, and the International Senior Lawyers Project (New York). As far as Russia
is concerned, we are known in all corners of the country. We have branches in
Vladivostok, Novosibirsk, Tyumen, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Voronezh, and
Murmansk. Our members participate in the fight for human rights from Vladivostok
to St.-Petersburg.
— Approximately how many people
received assistance from your organization? How many cases have you won in the
past decade?
— We provided assistance to literally
thousands of citizens who requested our assistance. Since 1994, we have
provided more than 18 thousand consultations to citizens and non-profit
organizations, and we won more than 750 proceedings in the public interest,
including the abolition of more than 90 unlawful normative acts of local and
federal government. For example, we successfully challenged efforts to keep the
public and the press from courtrooms during proceedings; we struck down both
local regulations that infringe on the right of assembly to protest government
action and illegitimate efforts by executive officers to veto municipal
legislation. We secured rulings that state that denials of the right to appeal
administrative decisions is a violation of the Russian Constitution and that
civil psychiatric detention without a timely hearing violates both the Russian
Constitution and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights. In
general, I believe, we have done well.
Our plans are to continue
sharing our experience with other human rights NGOs and activists, and to
continue vigorous efforts to protect human rights in general, not only under our
Russian Constitution, but also with the use of international mechanisms of
protection that require our presence in the international field. |
