Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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February 26, 2008

Rights Group Denounces Russian Pre-Election Rights Clampdown
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1B5CBDE:A6F02AD83191E160215977DB3BFC00F30531BB26A5003E7B& London-based
Amnesty International cites recent instances of police using force to
break up anti-Kremlin demonstrations A leading human rights group has
denounced what it says is a Russian crackdown on freedoms of assembly
and expression ahead of Sunday's presidential election.







Activists of the Other Russian movement shout during the "March of the
Dissenters" rally in central Moscow, 11 Jun 2007London-based Amnesty
International, in a report, cites recent instances of police using
force to break up anti-Kremlin demonstrations. It also criticizes new
Russian laws restricting activities of non-governmental organizations.

The report released Tuesday, says the crackdown was particularly
visible ahead of parliamentary elections in December, and remains so
in the run-up to Sunday's poll.

Russians will vote in a presidential election that President Vladimir
Putin's anointed successor, Dimitri Medvedev, is expected to win
easily.

Medvedev's chief opponent, former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, was
barred last month from running as an independent candidate.
Authorities said he failed to gain enough valid signatures to qualify.

The Amnesty report also voices concern that the investigation into the
2006 murder of independent journalist and Kremlin critic Anna
Politkovskaya has stalled. Politkovskaya, who reported extensively on
Russian human rights violations in Chechnya, was shot and killed
outside her Moscow apartment.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.




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