Fwd: An attempt upon life of human rights activist
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Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 22:37:47 +0200 (EET)
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Subject: Fwd: An attempt upon life of human rights activist
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: Human Rights Center of Azerbaijan
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Fwd: An attempt upon life of human rights activist
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From: [email protected] (Andrei Blinushov)
Date: Sat, 24 Oct 1998 13:27:48 GMT
AN ATTEMPT UPON LIFE OF HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST
Vasily Rakovich, human rights activist from Krasnodar region, was
unmercifully beaten nearby the court building Stanitsa Leningradskaya,
Krasnodar region. On 23 October 1998 Vasily Rakovich, Chairman of
Krasnodar Regional Association for Human Rights was attacked by two
unknown persons and is now in hospital attached to medicine dropper.
On 23 October 1998 after judge S. Pazyura announced a lunch break
during court hearings Vasily Rakovich, Chairman of Krasnodar Regional
Association for Human Rights and defender of human rights activist
Vasily Chaykin, was attacked by two men. After saying "Now we'll kill
you for our brother Tsaturyan" they started hitting Rakovich with a
baseball bat and a stone brick. The attackers shouted "Hit him at his
head and kidneys!" and beat him for about 3 minutes, then retired.
Vasily Rakovich lost much blood and was hospitalised with numerous
head and body wounds. His doctors said he would stay alive. However,
his wife and colleagues are not sure that the attack will not be
repeated. Police already started investigation on this case.
Vasily Rakovich leads one of the most well-known human rights
organisations in the region. He is editor of informational bulletin
"Human Rights in Krasnodar Region", member of the Board of
Inter-Regional "Human Rights Network" Group and also candidate to the
regional parliament (elections will be hold on 22 November 1998).
V.Rakovich has promoted human rights ideas into regional legislation
and opposed nationalistic and totalitarian politics of local governor
N.Kondratenko.
"Human Rights Network" considers this incident to be in close
connection with participation of Vasily Rakovich in defence of his
colleague, 53-year old Vasily Chaikin. Chaikin has been under arrest
for 1.5 years accused of a series of crimes; however, human rights
activists believe that Chaikin was persecuted for his democratic
activity. S. Tsaturyan who was mentioned by one of the attackers is
investigator of procurator's office of Leningradskaya district
(Krasnodar region). He falsified materials of Chaikin's criminal case.
Currently there are court hearings on Chaikin's case in local court.
In past weeks almost all witnesses confirmed forgeries of the
investigator and some of them said they had been threatened and kept
under strong pressure. The judge S.Pazyura has refused all requests
from the defence and hindered evidences that proved the investigator
guilty from being put in the protocol of court hearings. For over 1.5
years Vasily Rakovich (supported by his colleagues from various
regions of the country) has tried to obtain investigation of
Tsaturyan's crimes started but yet failed to break the opposition of
procurators.
Krasnodar Regional Association for Human Rights.
Phone (86145) 35452
email [email protected]
Press-secretary Vladimir Tishinsky.
Information disseminated by Inter-Regional Human Rights Network Group.
Phone/fax (095) 2060582
email [email protected].
Coordinator of Moscow department Sergei Smirnov.
--
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