Europe

Global civil society network CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation is shocked at the two year sentence handed out to members of Russian band Pussy Riot by a Moscow Court.

“Members of the band have clearly been victimised in what appears to be a blatant attack on free speech,” says Netsanet Belay, Policy and Research Director of CIVICUS. “The way in which the band members have been treated is designed to send a chilling message that democratic dissent is not welcome in Russia.”

8 August 2012 - Global civil society network CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation condemns the recent surge in restrictions on civil society in Russia and urges the international community to speak out against the Russian government's disregard for international norms on the treatment of civil society.

CIVICUS is deeply dismayed by the actions of the upper house of the Russian Parliment, the Federation Council, to pass a bill that stigmatises civil society groups which receive foreign funding.

The bill approved on 18 July obligates civil society advocacy groups which received foreign funding to register with the Justice Ministry as "foreign agents". The bill has received presidental approval.

CIVICUS believes that this regressive bill violates Russia's constituional and international law commitments to guarantee freedom of association.

Johannesburg, 26 June 2012: Russia has taken a further step backwards on democratic

freedoms by amending the administrative code on illegal public events to punish

violations of rules through exorbitant fines, say CIVICUS: World Alliance for

Citizen Participation and Greenpeace Russia.

On 8 June 2012, President Putin signed into law controversial increases to existing

penalties for violating rules on participation in and organisation of public

protests. The new maximum penalty for participation in a protest that is not in