Orlov: no wish to celebrate 60 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

On December 10 in Moscow, the A. D. Sakharov Museum and Public Centre hosted the Conference of Human Rights Organizations of Russia dated to the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The organizers of the event were the Moscow Helsinki Group, Movement "For Human Rights", Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", Committee "Civil Assistance" and Foundation "In Defence of Prisoners' Rights".

Head of the HRC "Memorial" Oleg Orlov said in his opening word that "there is no desire to celebrate" the 60th anniversary of the Declaration. "Some ten years ago we would say that, despite certain lapses here and there from the principles proclaimed in the UDHR, the mankind moves in correct direction, the principles are winning, and the history foresees their final and irrevocable victory. However, in recent years people more and more lapse from them, and not only in Russia. In the USA, which have always proclaimed their adherence to the principles of human rights, the state leaders are practically justifying, occasionally and sometimes, torture. Needless to say about our country, where 'crimes against the state' are taken out of trial by jury. The sole mechanism, bringing justice into the trial, is ruined before our eyes. It happens under rather passive and indifferent attitude of the society," Mr Orlov has complained.

Liudmila Alekseeva, Chair of the Moscow Helsinki Group, has noted that such indifference may be related to the difficult way covered by Russia in rethinking the earlier dominant principle "the person for the state" into adoption of the new credo - "the state for the person".