"Russia: Are Rights in Retreat?"

Washington - The Helsinki Commission will hold a public briefing, "Russia: Are Rights in Retreat?" on Monday, June 7, 2004, at 2:00 pm in room 2255 Rayburn House Office Building. The briefing will take place in conjunction with Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to the United States to attend the G8 Summit, June 8 -10, in Sea Island, Georgia.

Four prominent Russian human rights activities will give their assessment of the human rights situation in Russia today, including specific cases of particular interest.

Panelists will be:

Ludmilla Alexeeva, Chairwoman, Moscow Helsinki Group (founded in 1976), and President, International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Arseni Roginsky, Chairman, International Memorial Society

Alexei Simonov, Head, Glasnost Defense Foundation

Mara Polyakova, Director, Independent Council for Legal Expertise

Russia has made huge strides in democratic progress, human rights, civil liberties, and press freedom since the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, since President Putin's ascent to power, influential elements in his government appear determined to reverse Russia's direction and institute more authoritarian policies in what some have characterized as "managed democracy."

President Putin is increasingly relying on the "security-intelligence complex" to run Russia. One academic specialist has determined that the proportion of former intelligence, military, police or prosecutorial personnel in the Kremlin's power structure has increased from about 5 percent under Mr. Gorbachev to nearly 60 percent under Putin.