It is not surprising that political and human rights activists both within and outside Russia are concerned over the increasing consolidation of power by the government and away from the people. As Yevgeny Ikhov, the head of information and analysis at Za Prava Cheloveka (For Human Rights) points out, Russian President Vladimir Putin (see photo on previous page) has started a major attack on the ?last remaining segment of society not subordinate to him.? He is referring to NGOs and human rights organizations, many of which have private funding and are not subservient to the state . Over the past few years, there has been a noticeable reversion of autonomy for institutions that had initially gained freedoms after the break-up up the Soviet Union. Politics, the media, and the business world have increasingly fallen under firm control of the state. Increasingly, anyone who speaks out or questions the state is targeted. Some of this is justified on the basis of wiping out corruption and incompetence; other consolidations of power by the state are justified on the basis of improving national security.

Recently, head of the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society Stanislav Dmitriyevsky received a two year suspended prison sentence for inciting ethnic hatred during his coverage of the Chechnya conflict, specifically his publication of statements of now deceased Chechen Rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov (WAR Report and WAR Report). Dmitriyevsky claims the charges are in retaliation for criticism of the government?s policies in Chechnya. The newspaper in question, Pravozashchita, is part of the Friendship society and was considered one of the few independent press sources of coverage in Chechnya.

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