On February 10, in the capital of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Alexander Zakuskin, the head of the Meshchansky Municipal District of Moscow, a “Human Rights Defender” which is how he positions himself on his official Internet sites, acting with particular audacity and cynicism sprayed pepper spray in the face of Salima Yusupkhadjieva, a Russian Federation citizen and a 68-year-old woman. According to her medical records, the Russian news agency reported that Salima Yusupkhadjieva received first-degree burns of the conjunctiva and cornea of her eyes.
On February 12, 2022, Global Citizens* International Movement and the Office of the Commissioner of Central and Eastern European Affairs of the European Human Rights Committee* issued a joint statement condemning the cruel, inhuman, and degrading actions by the representative of the Russian authorities, Alexander Zakuskin, against a 68-year-old citizen of the Russian Federation Salime Yusupharzhieva, which took place in the capital of Russia, on February 10, 2022.
These events, the lack of a harsh reaction from the Russian Human Rights Defender and the media, and the official’s ongoing attempts to avoid criminal responsibility by convincing everyone that this was a common domestic conflict left us with no other choice but to appeal to the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation to take personal control of the investigation of the aforementioned crime.
Appeals to this effect were also sent to:
H.E. Dmitry Medvedev, Chairman of the United Russia political party;
Mr. Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation;
Mr. Sergey Sobyanin, Mayor of Moscow;
Mr. Vladimir Kozhin, Senator from Moscow of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation;
Ms. Inna Svyatenko, Senator from Moscow of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation;
Mr. Alexey Shaposhnikov, Chairman of the Moscow City Duma.
The appeals mentioned above, in particular, state:
We are deeply concerned by the evidence that officials can spray gas canisters in the faces of Russian Federation citizens the elderly with impunity in Russia.
We do not assume that the “Human Rights Defender” Mr. Alexander Zakuskin, as a person who has been engaged in human rights activities for a long time, a candidate of law, a volunteer who the Russian authorities have awarded thanks, namely, this is how he positions himself on his official Internet resources – will avoid responsibility, given his status as a representative of the Russian authorities.
According to open-source information on first-instance criminal cases, those who had previously committed such illegal acts were prosecuted and received actual sentences.
Apart from anything else, we would like to remind the official that behavior of this kind, we mean the inciting ethnic, racial, or religious hatred, is banned under international law, specifically, under Article 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Regardless of the investigation results, we consider the continued holding of office by an official who cynically violates the rights and freedoms of citizens to be unacceptable and urge representatives of the Russian authorities to initiate the question of Mr. Alexander Zakuskin’s removal from office.
We call on Russian colleagues, Human Rights defenders, and Journalists to take all available measures to prevent the “Human Rights Defender” who sprayed pepper spray in a person’s face from getting away with it. This older woman could have been your mother, grandmother, someone close to you.
The legal basis for awarding the degree of Candidate of Sciences in Law to Mr. Zakuskin requires separate reflection. What has happened shows the complete absence of any primary knowledge in the field of law in the person.
Press Office of the International Movement “Global Citizens”
International Movement “Global Citizens” are an independent, nonprofit, international movement of Human Rights Defenders, members of the press, and people of goodwill.
Office of the Commissioner of Central and Eastern European Affairs of the European Human Rights Committee is an international Human Rights Organization European Human Rights Committee institution.
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