Circassian writer complains to PACE about amendment to Constitution of Russia

The constitutional amendment on a state-forming nation proposed by Vladimir Putin is discriminatory in relation to other nations of Russia, claimed on March 18 Adel Bashkaui, a Circassian writer from Jordan. He requests the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to verify whether the constitutional amendment complies with Russia's obligations to the Council of Europe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the republics of Northern Caucasus criticized the concepts of a "state-forming nation" and a "language of the state-forming nation," which President Vladimir Putin proposed to introduce into the Constitution of Russia.

The constitutional amendment initiated by Vladimir Putin provoked "an extremely negative reaction from the Russian civil society, representatives of the indigenous peoples of the Russian Federation, human rights defenders, and the expert community," emphasizes Circassian writer Adel Bashkaui, who lives in Jordan, in his open appeal to the PACE.

The writer explains that the concept of a "language of a state-forming nation" was in question. "We believe that such a concept introduces ethnic segregation and discrimination of indigenous nations and national minorities in Russia by dividing the multinational people of the Russian Federation and granting special status to ethnic Russians as a state-forming nation. Other indigenous peoples of Russia and national minorities are given the status of non-state-forming nations and in fact position them to the status of peoples and citizens of the 'second grade'," claims Adel Bashkaui in his appeal posted on the "NatPress" and "AdygeKheku" websites on March 18.

Adel Baskaui has requested the PACE to verify whether the draft amendment to Article 68 of the Constitution of Russia is in line with the Russia's obligations to the Council of Europe.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 19, 2020 at 01:15 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.