Human rights activists are afraid of the application of the Russian expertise to control NGOs in other countries

On May 16-17  an international network of human rights organizations in support of recruits, soldiers and civil servants alternatively "Society and the Army," held in Kiev (Ukraine), a working meeting.

The Director of the Human Rights Centre of Azerbaijan (HRCA), Eldar Zeynalov raised the issue at a meeting on the arrests of activists of NIDA youth organization,  protesting against soldiers' deaths, as well as two members of the religious community, "Jehovah's Witnesses", who refused to serve in the army for religious reasons. Numerous facts of the arrests of members of the community registered in Armenia for the same reasons. During the years of independence of Armenia,  364 Jehovah's Witnesses were convicted for refusing to serve in the army on religious grounds.

Particular attention was paid to the situation in Russia, where many of the organizations involved in the protection of the rights of conscripts, military and alternative service, faced this year with a massive checks by the prosecution as "foreign agents." Stories of the Russian colleagues have raised  concern  that the situation could be repeated in other CIS countries, which copy the Russian legislation, Zeynalov said.

Following the meeting, the network has decided to draw up its recommendations for the activists of NGOs, governments and international organizations.

"Society and the Army" was created in 2009 by twelve non-governmental organizations from seven countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. The main purpose of the organization is to promote democratic standards in the observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms of military personnel and citizens to be called up for military service or the alternative service.-0-