Russian rights advocates asked visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday for Washington’s help in protecting the lives of campaigners and bringing the killers of activists to justice.
Two days after Russia’s ruling party won a big victory in regional elections which the opposition said were rigged, Clinton met human rights activists, journalists and officials dealing with rights issues — but not opposition politicians.
In remarks at the private meeting, Clinton said Washington would always uphold democratic standards and praised the bravery of Russia’s rights activists.
“Those of you here today not only understand the risks — you have lived them. You have seen friends and colleagues harassed, intimidated and even killed. And yet you go on working and writing and speaking, refusing to be silenced,” Clinton said, according to an audio recording issued later by US officials.
Tanya Lokshina of Human Rights Watch, who took part in the hour-long meeting with Clinton at the US ambassador’s residence in Moscow, said Washington must keep pressing Russia to improve its rights record.
“It should always be made possible that human rights issues of a pressing nature are raised,” Lokshina said, adding that she had told Clinton about the murder of activists and the failure of legal probes into their deaths.
Clinton made no mention of Russian rights issues or Sunday’s disputed regional elections during a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, but did tell the activists that she would raise their concerns with the Kremlin.
“In our discussions with the Russian government, we will continue to express our support for efforts to improve governance and advance human rights and hold those who commit crimes accountable,” she said.
The robust language contrasted with her earlier emphasis on cooperation and partnership at the news conference.
There she added a reference to US President Barack Obama’s promise to “reset” stormy US-Russia relations, saying: “I feel very good about the so-called ‘reset.’”
A leading Russian daily seized on comments by Obama’s top adviser on Russia, Michael McFaul, after a Kremlin meeting on Monday, arguing they meant Washington had decided to tone down public criticism of Moscow’s record on democracy and human rights to pursue a more constructive relationship.
“It is not his [Obama’s] style to lecture people and to wag his finger,” McFaul said. “He has a different approach to it.”
The Kommersant daily said “Mr McFaul led us to understand that the US no longer intends to teach Russia about democracy.”
US officials said Kommersant had misinterpreted McFaul’s remarks and that Washington would still bring up democracy and rights issues with Russian officials on a regular basis.
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