Democratic Societies and Human Rights Finals Essay Draft Author: Yeo Y.Y.

How are human rights compromised in Russia? With Russias successful bid to host the Olympics, many expected that Sochi 2014 would brin about pro ress and rowth for Russia! "owe#er, the $ames ha#e been marred from the start, by the #iolation of se#eral human ri hts that occurred e#en durin the preparation! %his essay will discuss the #iolations of human ri hts in Russia with re ards to the issue of discrimination &'$(% and s)inhead*, exploitation of mi rant wor)ers, disruption of the li#es of locals and press freedom! %he '$(% community in Russia has faced continuous discrimination, which may be attributed to the ma+ority of Russians bein deeply conser#ati#e Orthodox ,hristians and -uslims! %he le al stance on homosexuality has chan ed se#eral times under different leaders but in recent years, the trend seems to be a ainst homosexuality! %his can be seen in .resident .utins si nin two bills into law in mid/20101 one bannin the promotion of information about 2non/traditional3 sexuality &Rose, 2010* and the other bannin the adoption of Russian/born children to not only ay couples, but also any couple or sin le parent li#in in any country where marria e e4uality exists in any form &5nischu), 2010*! %his le al discrimination a ainst ays #iolates se#eral human ri hts1 the ri ht to e4uality &5rt! 1,2*, the freedom of opinion and expression &5rt! 16*, and results in the creation of a social and international order in which the ri hts and freedoms of '$(% people cannot be realised &5rt! 27*! 5dditionally, -oscows top court has upheld a ban on ay pride marches for the next 100 years &((,, 2012*, clearly #iolatin the ri ht to freedom on peaceful assembly and association &5rt! 20*! %hese laws contribute and reinforce a culture of discrimination! %he rationale behind them was to uphold the morality of Russians, especially for children! %herefore, it could be ar ued that these laws acceded to 5rticle 26&2*8 the freedom of '$(% people was limited to protect public morality and order! "owe#er, there is nothin intrinsically immoral about bein '$(%8 only reli ious roups ha#e defined it immoral, hence, 9 belie#e that these laws ultimately do #iolate 5rticle 26 after all! Other incidents include an incident in -oscow, 200: which police arrested ay ri hts acti#ists who were #ictims of #iolence instead of their a ressors &'e#y, 200:*! %his is in #iolation of their ri hts to e4ual protection of the law &5rt! :* and ri ht to an effecti#e remedy &5rt! 7*! 5 recent trend has also been to tar et youn '$(% indi#iduals throu h social media and torture them afterwards &-c,ann, 2010*! %he cruel, de radin treatment of '$(% indi#iduals and climate where #iolence is accepted &#iolatin security of person*, clearly #iolates 5rticle ; and 5rticle 0 respecti#ely! .utin has promised to 2do e#erythin to ma)e sure that athletes, fans and uests feel comfortable at the Olympic $ames re ardless of their ethnicity, race or sexual orientation3 &(eattie, 2010*, but this remains to be seen! 5nother form of discrimination that affects Sochi is the s)inhead mo#ement! %he term skinhead is used collo4uially to refer to nationalist, neo/<a=is! S)inheads ha#e perpetuated #iolence, forei ners and ay acti#ists are amon their #ictims and in some cases, s)inheads ha#e tortured their #ictims! 9n <o#ember 2010 alone, 2; people were tar ets of xenophobia and neo/<a=is &SO>5 ,entre of

Democratic Societies and Human Rights Finals Essay Draft Author: Yeo Y.Y. 9nformation and 5nalysis, 2010*! S)inheads were also a ressors in a #iolent clash with ay ri hts acti#ists &abo#e*! %he s)inheads actions a ainst others are in #iolation of their #ictims ri hts to security of person &5rt! 0*, freedom from cruelty &5rt! ;* and ri ht to a social order protectin their ri hts &5rt! 27*! With a roomy ?;0 million bud et for Sochi 2014, the re#elation that wor)ers were exploited was raises concerns about the inte rity of the Russian o#ernment! 5ccordin to a "uman Ri hts Watch &"RW* report &2010a*, the wor)ers experienced delayed or denied payment of wa es &5rt! 20&2*,&0**, excessi#e wor)in hours with few days off &5rt! 24*, inade4uate li#in conditions &5rt! 2;&1**! 5part from that, their personal identity documents were also withheld for coercion! 9n some cases, wor)ers were also arbitrarily detained &5rt! 6* and denied access to a lawyer &5rt! 10*! 5dditionally, their holdin cells were o#ercrowded, leadin to a #iolation of their ri ht to a decent standard of li#in &5rt! 2;*! Russia has also started expellin mi rant wor)ers in response to the complaints a ainst abuses after perfunctory court hearin s, which may constitute a #iolation of their ri ht to a fair public hearin &5rt 10*! %he wor)ers were not the only ones affected by Sochi 2014 construction8 locals were affected as well! %he locals were forcibly e#icted from their homes, and their property was sei=ed! %hese forced e#ictions are a #iolation of the ri ht to freedom of residence in their country &5rt! 10* and ri ht to property &5rt! 1:*! "omeowners were also not i#en a fair opportunity to challen e the o#ernments sei=ure of property or protest the demolition of their homes, illustratin a #iolation of their ri ht to a fair hearin &5rt! 10* and le al redress &5rt! 7*! 5part from this, locals ha#e also experienced a de radation of their li#in en#ironment due to en#ironmental dama e and landslides caused by ille al dumpin of construction waste &"RW, 2012*, leadin to a #iolation of the ri ht to an ade4uate standard of li#in &5rt! 2;*! 9n an effort to culti#ate a more positi#e ima e of Sochi 2014, the o#ernment has also started to restrict press and acti#ists! 5fter 2012 elections, new laws were adopted8 restrictions on assemblies, re/ criminalisation of libel, criminalisation of reli ious insult, additional restrictions on internet content, expansion of the definition of treason! %hese #a ue laws enabled the o#ernment to detain and prosecute acti#ists, +ournalists and others who #oiced out a ainst Sochi #iolations! %hese infrin e upon the peoples ri hts to freedom of opinion and expression &5rt!16*, freedom of assembly &5rt! 20*, freedom from arbitrary detention &5rt! 6*! 9n some cases, non/ o#ernmentals or anisations such as the @n#ironmental Watch of the <orth ,aucasus &@W<,* and +ournalists were sub+ected to searches in their correspondence and residences, #iolatin their freedom from arbitrary interference with their pri#acy &5rt! 12* &"RW, 2010b*!

References 5nishchu), 5! &2010, Auly 0*! Russia's Putin signs law banning gay adoptions. Retrie#ed from http1BBwww!reuters!comBarticleB2010B0:B00Bus/russia/putin/ ay/idCS(R@6D210<20100:00 ((,! &2012, 5u ust 2012*! Gay parades banned in Moscow for 100 years! Retrie#ed from

Democratic Societies and Human Rights Finals Essay Draft Author: Yeo Y.Y. http1BBwww!bbc!co!u)BnewsBworld/europe/162604D; (eattie, -! &2010, October 27*! >ladimir putin tells 9O, that ay and lesbian athletes will be welcome at Sochi 2014! The Telegraph! Retrie#ed from http1BBwww!tele raph!co!u)BsportBolympicsB10406:00B>ladimir/.utin/tells/9O,/that/ ay/and/ lesbian/athletes/will/be/welcome/at/Sochi/2014!html "uman Ri hts Watch! &2012, October 22*! Russia: alt forced e!iction for "ly#pics road! Retrie#ed from http1BBwww!hrw!or BnewsB2012B10B22Brussia/halt/forced/e#iction/olympics/road "uman Ri hts Watch! &2010a, Eebruary*! Race to the botto#: $%ploitation of #igrant workers ahead of Russia&s '01( )inter "ly#pic Ga#es in *ochi! Retrie#ed from http1BBwww!hrw!or BsitesBdefaultBfilesBreportsBrussia0210FEorCpload!pdf "uman Ri hts Watch! &2010b, 5u ust :*! Russia: *ilencing acti!ists+ ,ournalists ahead of sochi ga#es! Retrie#ed from http1BBwww!hrw!or BnewsB2010B07B0DBrussia/silencin /acti#ists/+ournalists/ahead/ sochi/ ames 'e#y, -! &200:, -ay 2:*! $ggs and punches at Russia gay #arch! Retrie#ed from http1BBnews!bbc!co!u)B2BhiBeuropeBDD6D026!stm -c,ann, A! &2010, Auly 2:*! Russian neo/na=is torture ay teena er they tric)ed into meetin them as part of online scam read more1 http1BBwww!dailymail!co!u)BnewsBarticle/20:66D:Brussian/neo/ na=is/torture/ ay/teena er/tric)ed/meetin /online/scam!html Rose, S! &2010, Auly 1*! Putin signs law banning gay -propaganda& a#ong children. Retrie#ed from http1BBwww!bloomber !comBnewsB2010/0D/00Bputin/si ns/law/bannin / ay/propa anda/amon / children!html SO>5 ,entre for 9nformation and 5nalysis! &2010, Gecember 6*! Racis# and %enophobia in .o!e#ber '01/! Retrie#ed from http1BBwww!so#a/center!ruBenBxenophobiaBnews/releasesB2010B12Bd27;70B