Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics: Not just games - HUMAN RIGHTS IN RUSSIA - MANUAL FOR JOURNALISTS
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HUMAN RIGHTS IN RUSSIA
Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics: Not just
games
MANUAL FOR JOURNALISTS
Amnesty International Norway, Bellona, Caucasian Knot, the Norwegian
Helsinki Committee and the Norwegian Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
Organisation
Photo front cover: Copyright Tomasz Kizny
2
MANUAL FOR JOURNALISTS
This manual for journalists, which will cover the 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in
Sochi in 2014, has been produced in cooperation between the Norwegian Helsinki
Committee, Amnesty International Norway, Bellona, the Norwegian Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
and Transgender Organisation (LLH) and the news portal Caucasian Knot.
The Norwegian Helsinki Committee has had principal responsibility for the production of the
manual and would like to thank the Fritt Ord Foundation for supporting this and for other
work linked to the winter games in Sochi.
The manual covers the political, human rights and environmental context of the winter
games, which are taking place in a city on the Black Sea which has around 350,000
inhabitants. The manual is part of a major partnership to draw attention to the problematic
aspects of the winter games in Sochi and developments in Russia regarding human rights
and respect for human dignity, which is a central value of the Olympic Movement.
The organisations are not calling for a boycott of the winter games, but wish to contribute to
the Norwegian and international media being aware of conditions linked to the preparation
and organisation of the games by the Russian authorities which justify criticism. The manual
also raises questions about the IOC's role in following up on respect for the Olympic values.
The Olympic Movement has some fundamental principles, including that sport must
contribute to "the harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a
peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity". Banning discrimination
is one of its core values.
Assessing how various Olympic Games contribute to promoting these values is therefore
vital.
The information presented has been taken from a range of sources, including conversations
and interviews held while visiting Sochi and the Krasnodar region under the auspices of the
Norwegian Helsinki Committee.
---
Amnesty International Norway, www.amnesty.no, is the Norwegian branch of the world's
largest human rights organisation. Amnesty International fights for freedom of expression
and against discrimination and abuse. The organisation is independent of all governments,
economic players, political beliefs and religious faiths.
Bellona, http://www.bellona.org, is an independent idealist foundation which works to solve
the world's climate challenges partly by identifying and implementing sustainable climate
solutions. Bellona works for increased environmental understanding and protection of
nature, the environment and health. Bellona is involved in the most important national and
international environmental issues in the world today.
3
Caucasian Knot, http://eng.kavkaz-uzel.ru, is a Russian and English-language 24/7 internet
agency covering the entire Caucasus region, i.e. areas in southern Russia (north Caucasia)
and Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Caucasian Knot has an extensive network of
correspondents and represents a unique source of independent information about
important developments and incidents in the region.
The Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC), www.nhc.no, is a non-governmental
organisation which promotes full respect for internationally-recognised human rights in law
and in practice. The NHC reports on breaches of human rights, provides education and
supports and cooperates with local organisations regarding such activities. The NHC's
geographical focus is North America, Europe and Central Asia. The NHC's headquarters are in
Oslo and it has employees and partners in Eastern and Central Europe, the western Balkans
and Central Asia.
The Norwegian Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Organisation (LLH),
http://www.llh.no, is a Norwegian organisation which works for equality and against all
forms of discrimination against lesbians, homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals (LGBTs) in
Norway and the rest of the world. LLH works for improved protection against discrimination
for all minorities and for the police following up on hate crime in a suitable manner. The
organisation provides information about LGBTs to the authorities and politicians, family-
protection offices and the health service. LLH works with and supports LGBT activists in
Russia.
4
CONTENTS
Interview with Gregory Shvedov, editor of Caucasian Knot 6
The IOC and the Sochi Winter Games 10
Sochi and the Krasnodar region 13
The risk of terrorism 15
Treatment of minorities and immigrants 21
LGBTs without protection 22
Vulnerable environment under pressure 26
Corruption 30
Workers' rights infringed 33
Restrictions of liberty 35
Imprisonment of political opponents and activists 38
The IOC's role 41
Useful contacts 43
Biographies of activists currently under investigation 51
5
The Price of the Games: who will win, who will be victim?
– Interview with Gregory Shvedov, Editor, Caucasian Knot
The 2014 Sochi Olympic and Paralympic
Games are widely seen by observers as a
personal project for President Putin, who
is very fond of the Sochi area and its
recreational qualities. The games have
been portrayed by the Russian authorities
as an important part of efforts to
modernise Russia in terms of
technological innovations, venues being
made easily accessible for the disabled
and inspiring and creating future training
facilities for talented athletes. They also have an overall goal of developing the Sochi area in
line with cost efficiency and sustainability criteria.
Taking a step back in assessing preparations for the games, how are they being portrayed
in the Russian mainstream media?
"Overall there is a positive attitude to the games. The media report on how the games
contribute to a "positive image" of Russia, mobilising Russians and attracting positive
international attention. It is no secret that Russia has an image problem in the West. There
are currently no real attempts to democratise the country or improve human rights. The
games are seen as a way to improve the image of the country, to re-brand Russia. The plan is
to portray a great power which can build spectacular sports venues and organise
tournaments in a way which no-one can copy. The mainstream media are undertaking the
task of creating such an image."
Does this mean that the Russian media are under orders to portray the games in a positive
light?
"Well, there is no censorship in the majority of the Russian media, you know. However, the
major media outlets know how to present news or which news to avoid in order not to
offend officials. There is no nationwide system with one responsible agency which pre-
approves journalism, as was the case during Soviet times. But there is a widespread practice
of self-censorship. There is also the issue of media financing, which in practice leads to a
cautious approach by owners, who influence the media a lot in Russia. The majority of media
outlets are funded by the government or local administrations, although there are also a
number of private owners. Editors may be appointed due to their loyalty to the owner rather
than because of their skills. There is also the issue of restrictive laws that make journalists
cautious of criticising officials. There are however some private media that cover sensitive
issues in an independent way."
Do the media in North Caucasus have any distinctive characteristics?
"The situation is not the same in the various regions. In general, however, local
administrations do not welcome a professional approach by media outlets. On the contrary,
they expect the media to contribute to portraying "a positive image". In Chechnya there is
complete control of the media by the Kadyrov administration, which leads to Soviet-style
6
propaganda, often in a new, modern style. In Dagestan there are a few independent media
outlets owned and run by businesses which report critically. In five other regions of North
Caucasus there are newspapers which may publish critical material from time to time, but
they do not have a big readership and there are no daily editions. Also, there are no
independent radio or TV broadcasters in the area. The online media in the regions are
mostly linked to specific local stakeholders’ interests. In general, access to the internet is
free, except in Chechnya, and this helps regional readers to use social media, which are very
popular."
How would you describe the role of the news portal Caucasian Knot?
"Caucasian Knot fills the void where there is a lack of independent and professional
reporting. The regional media sometimes publish material critical of regional developments,
but they do not always adhere to professional standards. The owners of specific newspapers
or electronic media are often involved in influencing critical reporting in order to pursue
their own interests. Caucasian Knot is totally independent of local government and business
interests and our readers show how much they admire this approach. The stories we publish
are read about three million times a month. Apart from reporting, Caucasian Knot also
provides a much needed forum for the local audience, making it possible for the population
of the regions to share facts and opinions. Caucasian Knot receives thousands of comments
and text messages. Many of these feature important facts about human rights violations and
other items of interest."
How do officials respond to criticism of the preparations for the Sochi Games?
"I would say that their main response is to ignore it, if possible. Regarding criticism of the
environmental damage caused by the companies building facilities for the Olympic Games,
court decisions in cases against activists clearly show that the courts have been ordered to
punish them by officials. Officials do not want to allow activists to operate or to benefit from
criticism in order to improve the way things are done. We should, however, acknowledge
that there are examples of the opposite happening. For instance, officials do recognise that
the ecosystem of the Mzimta River has been destroyed. There is currently a debate about
how to restore life to the river.
"Caucasian Knot writes a lot about a large number of local inhabitants who suffer
permanently due to social injustice and poor living conditions. There is often no hot water or
electricity and heating does not work. This criticism does not usually attract any response
from officials, but we are proud of each case (even though they are few in number) when
people get help due to our coverage. Often help comes not from regional officials but from
national institutions."
You have been active as a journalist and editor in the North Caucasus region for many
years. What is your advice to foreign journalists coming to Sochi?
"My main advice is to prepare thoroughly in terms of reading about the region, consulting
reports by human rights organisations, video reports, news, etc. Do not think that you can
start from zero, but prepare yourself about issues beyond the sport. One important question
is about the true price of the games. We already know that they are extremely expensive in
terms of money, but they have also incurred a lot of problems for the local population and
environment. When foreign journalists arrive they may be very impressed by what they see.
7
The Olympic venues and the infrastructure are indeed impressive. But they should be
prepared to look beyond that. They also have to be very careful about protecting their
sources when conducting journalistic work in Sochi. This will of course be difficult as security
personnel will be present everywhere. It also means that respondents might choose to
answer very carefully so as not to compromise themselves. For instance, it might be very
difficult to dig into issues such as corruption and the excessive use of funds related to
construction works. I suspect few locals would talk about it much or be able to provide
evidence."
How do you assess the possibility of arranging protests and demonstrations close to the
venues?
"It will be very difficult to protest or demonstrate near venues. Even though this is now
permitted in principle it can only take place with the approval of the local authorities, local
law enforcement agencies and the Federal Security Service (the FSB, which was known as
the KGB in Soviet times). In reality getting permission from all three structures will be
complicated. Putin’s permission to protest looks good on paper, but I suspect that in reality
we’ll not see much protest near venues. The authorities may propose somewhere far away
from the venues, where fewer visitors will be able to see the activists."
Do you see the games having any positive effects?
"Yes, the Sochi Games may be helpful in some respects. There is, however, now talk of
venues ending up as casinos after the games. That would certainly not be a good outcome.
One central question is whether the Olympic buildings and infrastructure will benefit the
local population and ordinary people or whether Sochi will remain a place for rich and
powerful people. That remains to be seen. Sochi may continue to be a place which the
Russian state invests in, providing talented athletes from all over Russia with venues for
training. Giving young athletes from North Caucasus a special opportunity to use this
infrastructure would also be sensible national policy. In terms of tourism I suspect that
Turkey and Egypt may remain less expensive than Sochi for Russians. But there is certainly
potential in Sochi for combining seaside tourism with more adventurous activities in the
nearby mountains."
Several well-known people, including Khodorkovsky, have recently been granted
amnesties. How do you interpret these amnesties?
"They have mainly been granted in order to improve the image of Russia, to portray it as a
more free country and to dismiss sensitive issues ahead of the games. But the amnesties do
not represent a paradigm shift. For instance, you can see that activists critical of the
preparations for the Sochi Games still have a hard time."
"We need to think about local activists after the games. How many of them will pay a high
price for the games – will have to go to prison – after the international community stops
monitoring developments in Sochi? We are already witnessing such an approach in
neighbouring Azerbaijan, where key activists have been arrested after elections rather than
during them. Together we need to make efforts to help those who live in the region so that
they do not end up being victims of the games.
8
"The next G8 meeting will be held in Sochi. World leaders need to be quite clear in
demanding that no-one should suffer because of peaceful activism while they are
experiencing warm Russian hospitality in beautiful palaces."
9
THE IOC AND THE SOCHI WINTER GAMES
The Modern Olympic Games were founded by Pierre de Coubertin in 1864. The International
Olympic Committee (IOC) was established in 1894, while the first modern summer games
were held in Athens in 1896. Winter games were first held in Chamonix, France, in 1924.
The IOC plays the main role in the Olympic Movement along with the national Olympic
Committees and the international sports federations. The Olympic Charter is binding on all
these players and also on the organising committees for the various Olympic Games.
Contrary to popular belief Olympism is not just about organising spectacular sports events.
According to the charter it is a philosophy of life which seeks to create a lifestyle "based on
the joy found in effort, the educational value of good example, social responsibility and
respect for universal fundamental ethical principles". It also states that practising sport is a
human right and that no-one should be discriminated against in practising sport. The
Olympic Movement must "contribute to building a peaceful and better world".
Sochi was chosen to organise the 2014 winter games by the IOC on 2 July 2007. According to
the IOC seven cities had applied to hold the 2014 winter games: Sochi (Russia), Salzburg
(Austria), Jaca (Spain), Almaty (Kazakhstan), PyeongChang (South Korea), Sofia (Bulgaria) and
Borjomi (Georgia).1
Sochi competed with Salzburg and Pyeongchang in the final phase. In the final vote Sochi
was preferred by 51 IOC members, while PyeongChang was supported by 47.
The winter games in Sochi are the 22nd Winter Olympics and will be followed by the 11th
Paralympic Winter Games, which are taking place at the same venues from 7-16 March.
By entering into an agreement with the IOC to organise the Olympic Games in 2014 the
Russian Organising Committee and the responsible Russian authorities committed
themselves to respecting the Olympic aims and values. For its part, the IOC is committed to
ensuring that these are followed up in practice.
High aims
The Olympic Games in Sochi will be the most compact winter games in the history of the
Olympic Movement. It will be possible to move from one arena to another within minutes.
All arenas have been adapted to the requirements for disabled access.
Eleven new facilities have been built for the games, located in two complexes – one on the
coast a little south of Sochi city and one in the mountain resort of Krasnaya Polyana. The two
complexes are 48 km apart and a new railway and motorway have been built between them
so that the travel time is planned to be just 30 minutes. The ice arenas, which are in the
coastal complex, are within walking distance of each other.
1
http://www.olympic.org/sochi-2014-winter-olympics
10The Sochi winter games have become the most expensive ever. The final bill will be more
than 50 billion dollars.2
The Olympic rings at the airport in Sochi.
The Russian Organising Committee has stated the aims of the games on three levels under
the heading "The Russian Diamond".3
Firstly, the games will be innovative in terms of ensuring a high level of service for the
participants, making the arenas physically accessible, ensuring environmental sustainability
and making the Olympics accessible for everyone.
Secondly, the games will celebrate the so-called Spirit of Russia. This involves inspiring the
Russian population by showing what Russian athletes can achieve, demonstrating Russian
hospitality and showing magnificent scenery and contributing to integrating Russia into the
global community.
Thirdly, the games will deliver "sustainable positive change, which inspires the world". The
games will set new standards for the rest of Russia, market Sochi as a tourist destination,
stimulate the development of sport and a healthy lifestyle and promote the inclusion of
people with disabilities in Russia.
2
Not an official figure.
3
http://www.sochi2014.com/en/games/strategy/brilliant/
11Controversial
The Winter Olympics in Sochi are the first to be organised by the Russian Federation, which
was declared an independent state in 1991 and took over the Soviet Union's permanent seat
on the UN Security Council. During Soviet times the summer games were held in Moscow in
1980, but these were boycotted by a large number of countries because of the Soviet
invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Norway did not participate.
The winter games in Sochi have also been caught in a controversial light, although no
country has indicated that it is considering boycotting them. Human rights and
environmental issues are some of the most important subjects in the critical discussions
about the games. These include poor treatment of construction workers who have been
brought in, restrictive legislation and practices regarding homosexual and lesbian rights, an
extensive decline in respect for civil and political rights in Russia in general and worries
about the environmental consequences of the extensive building of infrastructure and
facilities in association with the games.
12SOCHI AND THE KRASNODAR REGION
Sochi lies in the Krasnodar region (Krasnodarsky krai in Russian), which is in south-west
Russia and is part of the southern federal district. The region borders Rostov in the north-
west, Stavropol in the east and the conflict-stricken Georgian republic of Abkhazia in the
south. In the west Krasnodar is separated from Ukraine by the Strait of Kerch.
Its population is approx. 5.3 million. Russians make up the majority (approx. 88%), but
Armenians, Ukrainians, Greeks and many other ethnic groups live in the region.
Sochi's climate is subtropical, with an average daytime temperature of 10 degrees at the
coast in January and February. There is unique fauna and flora in some of the areas affected
by building development for the Olympics and parts of the area are protected national parks.
The Krasnodar region is bordering North Caucasus, an area affected by conflicts between the
various ethnic groups in the region and the Russian authorities since the 19th century.
The republic of Adygea is an enclave within the Krasnodar region. The Adyghe and other so-
called Circassian people supported the Turks against Russia in the Crimean War (1853-1856).
Russia's conquest of the northern Caucasus was completed in 1864, and this resulted in a
large number of Circassians and other Muslims being forced out. Some were forcibly
deported to the Ottoman Empire, while many moved to other parts of Russia or to other
countries.
During World War II the Circassians and many other Muslim ethnic groups in North Caucasus
were deported to Central Asia. Those who survived were first invited to return in the late
1950s.
The Circassians have sought to exploit the winter games in Sochi to highlight the conflicts and
extensive persecution which have taken place. It has been emphasised that Sochi was once
the capital of Circassia before Greek immigrants came to the area. But when Russian
President Vladimir Putin addressed The Olympic Committee in 2007 to convince it that Sochi
should organise the games he only mentioned the Greeks, it is noted.4
Russians now make up around 68% of the population of Adygea, while the Adyghe make up
22%. Although Circassians live in other parts of North Caucasus and Russia, the great
majority live abroad.
There have also been extensive conflicts regarding the status of Abkhazia. Only Russia,
Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru have recognised the republic as an independent state. Two
other unrecognised republics, South Ossetia and Transnistria, have also recognised Abkhazia.
Abkhazia and South Ossetia are part of Georgia in legal terms, even though the authorities in
Tbilisi have no control over them. Transnistria is a similar breakaway republic from Moldova.
These republics represent part of the extensive problem of so-called "frozen conflicts" in
4
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/04/2012446515233997.html
13former Soviet territory. In the summer of 2008 there was a brief war between Russia and
Georgia over South Ossetia, but the relationship between Russia and Georgia is somewhat
better today.
14THE RISK OF TERRORISM
The Krasnodar region lies at the edge of North Caucasus, a region affected by lengthy
conflicts. North Caucasus consists of Stavropol Krai and the autonomous republics of
Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia-Alania, Ingushetia, Chechnya and
Dagestan.
The terrorist attacks in Volgograd on 29 and 30 December 2013 came as a shock to many
people in Russia. Thirty-four people were killed at the city's train station and on a
trolleybus.5 A terrorist attack in Volgograd in October 2013 also claimed seven lives.
Volgograd lies about 1000 kilometres north east of Sochi as the crow flies.
The population of Russia has been told by state-controlled media that North Caucasus is
under control. In reality there has been fighting between Islamist groups and the authorities
for a long time. Even though the war in Chechnya ended at the beginning of the 21st
century, the conflicts there and in the neighbouring republics have not been resolved.
There is a particularly high level of conflict in Dagestan, while in Chechnya there is first and
foremost a high level of repression. Here President Ramzan Kadyrov keeps order using
heavy-handed methods including murder, torture and abductions.
It is particularly disturbing that the violence has had a tendency to spread to areas further
north, in the direction of Volgograd. Earlier terrorist attacks in Moscow and other places
have also been linked to conflicts in North Caucasus.
Many people ask themselves why the country's powerful security forces are unable to stop
the bombs. The criticism points to a lack of professionalism and preparedness.
However, the threats against the winter games should not be exaggerated, even though
well-known rebel leader Doku Umarov has said that they must be stopped. Here the security
measures will be extensive and thorough.
Tracing the background to the threats is equally important. Why have the authorities not
been able to promote more peaceful development in North Caucasus?
Unresolved conflicts
The first Chechen war began in 1994. It was about separatism and there was a temporary
solution in 1996, when the then President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, and Chechen leader Aslan
Maskhadov signed a peace agreement.
According to the Russian organisation Memorial, between 30,000 and 50,000 civilians and up
to 6,000 members of the Russian security forces were killed in the first war.
5
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25566055
15A new war began in the autumn of 1999 after Putin became the leader of Russia. He
portrayed it as a war on terrorism. Once again there were also major losses. Between 15,000
and 25,000 civilians were killed along with up to 6,000 of the security forces. Around 3,000
people also "disappeared", Memorial says.
Fighting terrorism, which received increased international support after 11 September 2001,
boosted Putin's popularity. Putin was perceived by many people as someone who could
bring order. But it hasn't turned out that way. The 24/7 internet agency Caucasian Knot has
produced an overview of acts of terrorism in Russia since 2000. According to the overview
122 suicide bombers, 52 of whom were women, have participated in 80 acts of terrorism.
1,201 people were killed and 3,240 injured.6 The most disturbing thing about the overview is
that the terrorism is not tending to decrease.
Since Kadyrov became president of Chechnya in 2007 the authorities there have relied on
tough tactics and killed or forced out moderate leaders whom they could have negotiated
with. In doing so they have promoted the radicalisation of the rebels. On the surface
Chechnya looks better off, with new construction projects and major financial transfers from
Moscow. But under the surface it's smouldering.
Using fighting terrorism as a cover, the authorities have cancelled local elections and
restricted freedom of expression and civil society. They portray the conflict as black and
white and only permit critical voices to a limited extent or depict the critics as extremists.
Many journalists and activists have been killed because they have written about sensitive
issues in Chechnya. The most well-known are Anna Politkovskaya and Natalia Estemirova.
The wars in Chechnya and the ongoing conflicts in North Caucasus have also led to a major
flow of refugees to Europe and internally within Russia. Russia has been convicted by the
European Court of Human Rights in a large number of cases from Chechnya, including for
torture and disappearances.
Compared to neighbouring republics there is now a certain authoritarian stability in
Chechnya. Relatives of members of illegal military groups, friends or people suspected of
having assisted them are abducted or arrested. They are still often subjected to torture or
end up being killed.
As the military groups largely sail under the flag of radical Islam, religious young men and in
some cases women are arrested by the authorities. This often happens with no legal basis.
Unemployment is another factor which contributes to young people joining the armed
groups.
The position of women in Chechnya has worsened in recent years, including being ordered to
wear headdresses and honour killings of women.7
Over the last 10 years the conflicts have spread from Chechnya to Ingushetia, Kabardino-
Balkaria and particularly Dagestan, while the rebels have been radicalised. Shootings and
6
http://eng.kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/27022/
7
http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/10/29/virtue-campaign-women-chechnya-under-ramzan-kadyrov
16killings take place and the authorities initiate a large number of counter-terrorism
operations. They take place in a similar way as in Chechnya. People suspected of cooperating
with rebels and their families are subjected to arrest, torture and even extra-judicial
executions.
On 18 December 2013 Chechnya's president declared that Umarov died a long time ago.8
This was the eighth time that rebel leader Umarov has been declared dead. But there are
many indications that he is still planning acts of terrorism in Sochi or elsewhere in Russia.
The terrorism continues
Terrorism which takes place in other parts of Russia but is linked to the conflicts in North
Caucasus is nothing new. The two most well-known examples are the actions at the
Dubrovka Theatre in Moscow in 2002 and in Beslan in 2004. In 2011 Doku Umarov was
behind an act of terrorism at Domodedovo Airport in Moscow in which 37 people lost their
lives.9
The attacks in Volgograd at the end of December 2013 are probably linked to the winter
games in Sochi but can also be viewed in the context of the ongoing spread of the conflicts in
North Caucasus.
In May 2012 the Federal Security Service (FSB) announced that it had discovered terror plans
and weapons in Abkhazia which targeted the winter games. It was believed that Umarov was
behind the plans and that he was receiving help from the Georgian security services. The
Georgian authorities denied that there was such a link.10
There may be many reasons why Russia has not succeeded in combating the terrorism. In
our opinion one important reason for the authorities' lack of success is that they have not
based their counter-terrorism strategy on human rights. The brutality of the terrorism is
countered by state brutality, often also including arbitrary and collective punishment of the
suspect's family.
Dialogue with the terrorists is also ruled out or is only used to buy time. This applies during
hostage dramas such as those at the Dubrovka Theatre in Moscow in 2002 and in Beslan in
2004, but also as an overall strategy. There is no attempt to involve radical elements in
political processes. There was admittedly some such attempts in Dagestan when Dmitri
Medvedev was president from 2008-2012, but under Putin it is harsh measures that count.
8
http://tvrain.ru/articles/glavred_kavkazskogo_uzla_sejchas_glavnyj_vopros_vojdet_li_sochi_v_imarat_kavkaz-
359103/
9
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24896447
10
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/russian-secret-service-sochi-2014-olympics-terror-attack-foiled-in-
breakaway-republic-of-abkhazia/
17The authorities have used the preparations for the Olympics as part of a grandiose attempt
to modernise Russia. The Sochi games will portray an image of a Russia distinguished by
efficiency, modern technology and seamless organisation.
Russia's way of handling conflicts needs radical change to just as great an extent.
18Counter-terrorism in Sochi
In August 2013 President Putin signed an order "On the special use of increased security
measures in the period of the hosting of the 22nd Olympic and the 11th Paralympic Games
2014 in Sochi".11 According to the order, which applies from 7 January to 21 March 2014, it
will be forbidden for non-local transport to drive into the Olympic Games areas without
special accreditation.
Sochi will be split into zones with various entrances for various categories of people and only
after they have been checked by the police or other security forces. An individual pass has
been introduced for spectators after they have been checked by the FSB.
One of the main challenges has been to check local use of cars, partly because many people
drive cars bought in Abkhazia with Abkhazian number plates. The authorities have
announced that they will increase public transport provision during the winter games,
reducing the need to use private cars. A range of institutions including kindergartens and schools
will be closed during the games.
Drones will be used for surveillance and the use of mobile phones by athletes and accredited
journalists will be monitored.
In August 2013 the authorities introduced a total ban on all demonstrations in Sochi in the
period from 7 February to 21 March 2014, but this was amended in December 2013. Instead
the new regulations provided for so-called "protest zones" to be set up, as they were during
the summer games in Beijing in 2008.12
On 4 January 2014 it became known that Putin had given in to pressure from the IOC and will
now allow demonstrations and political displays at the Olympic facilities and along the roads
which lead to the facilities. However, permission must be sought from the local authorities,
local law enforcement agencies and the Federal Security Service (the FSB) and there are
limits on how many people can participate.13
From 10 to 30 November 2013 the counter-terrorism exercise "2014 Olympics" was held in
the Krasnodar region and in the Republic of Adygea. This involved the local population,
tourists and journalists (including Norwegian TV2's reporter Øystein Bogen14) being
subjected to extensive security checks and interrogations. According to Russian sources the
local population were not informed about the exercise in advance, and the police and
security forces conducted themselves rudely and unprofessionally.15
11
http://eng.kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/27021/
12
http://www.gazeta.ru/social/news/2013/12/11/n_5807485.shtml
13
http://www.nrk.no/verden/tillater-demonstrasjoner-under-ol-1.11449710
14
http://www.tv2.no/nyheter/utenriks/vil-at-ioc-etterforsker-trakasseringen-av-tv-2s-team-i-Sochi-
4151616.html#.UsxJ-j8liW8
15
http://www.echo.msk.ru/blog/andrey_rudomakha/1195902-echo/
19When the Russian security forces are searching for terrorists from North Caucasus they often
refer to "Caucasian" appearance. Ahead of the winter games the security forces face a new
challenge when it comes to identifying terrorists who are not Caucasians but converts to
radical Islam. The terrorist actions in Volgograd on 29 December 2013 are said to have been
executed by such Russian converts.
20TREATMENT OF MINORITIES AND IMMIGRANTS
People belonging to more than 50 different ethnic groups live in the Krasnodar region. Even
though the situation here is peaceful compared to parts of North Caucasus, earlier conflicts
have left their mark. Discrimination and other abuses of immigrants are unfortunately very
much a reality.
Ahead of the winter games Adyghe or Circassians, as they are often called, in particular have
put forward demands to settle scores for the abuses which occurred in the Caucasian wars
between 1817 and 1864. In 2014 it is 150 years since the end of that period of fierce conflict
between advancing Russian forces and North Caucasian military groups, including
Circassians. The Ottoman Empire also participated in the clashes from time to time.
The Caucasian wars were mainly about Russia's conquest of new territories in North
Caucasus. Russian military units were particularly violent in the final phase. They burned
down a large number of Circassian villages and put the survivors in camps where the
conditions were particularly bad.16
It is claimed that as many as 400,000 Circassians were killed, while half a million fled to other
parts of Russia or to Turkey, Syria, Jordan and other countries. Their descendants demand
recognition that genocide was committed against the Circassian population.17
However, local Circassians are asking for dialogue with the Russian authorities, that they be
mentioned during the Olympic opening ceremony and for increased rights as a minority.18 At
the end of December 2013 11 activists who are fighting for the Circassians' rights as a
minority were arrested and interrogated, ostensibly as part of combating extremism.19
While the Circassians feel that their demands are being ignored the governor of the
Krasnodar region, Aleksander Tkachev, has revived another group, the Cossacks, who have
been in the region since the 19th century and are known for their military skills. On 1
September 2012 the governor launched an initiative to establish his own Cossack groups to
ensure that immigrants leave Krasnodar. Around 65 such groups have been established to
patrol the region.
Tkachev emphasises that all immigrants must leave Sochi.20 The Cossacks have also been
used in association with the winter games to forcibly deport foreign workers who have
helped build the Olympic facilities.21 Memorial estimates that around 3,000 foreign workers
have been forced to leave the region since the campaign to remove them began.
16
http://eng.kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/27024/
17
http://www.newsweek.com/sochi-2014-winter-olympics-circassians-cry-genocide-64893
18
Interview with the former Chairman of the Circassian Council of Elders, Ruslan Gvashev, on 25 November
2013.
19
http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/01/02/despite-prisoner-amnesty-oppressive-russia-escalating-harassment-
dissenters
20
http://eng.kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/25834/
21
http://www.bbc.co.uk/russian/russia/2013/09/130911_russia_sochi_migrants.shtml
21LGBTS WITHOUT PROTECTION
The Olympics in Sochi have helped to train the world's spotlight on the discrimination
suffered by lesbians, homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals (LGBTs) in contemporary
Russia. Russian society in general shows little acceptance of homosexuals' rights. Common
views are that homosexuality is an illness or the result of a bad environment. Opinion
surveys show that over 70% of the population have negative attitudes to homosexuals.
However, attitudes are more positive among younger people and the well-educated.22
Public demonstrations arranged by LGBT organisations often end with nationalists and
Orthodox activists cooperating to attack the police while the police remain passive.
From a demonstration in St Petersburg.
On 30 June 2013 President Putin signed an amendment to the law on protecting children
from information which is damaging to their health and development. The amendment to
the law forbids so-called propaganda about non-traditional sexual relations to minors. The
22
A survey conducted by the Levada Centre in Russia in July 2010 concluded that "homophobia is widespread
in Russian society". 74% of the respondents believed that homosexuals and lesbians are immoral or
psychologically disturbed. Only 15% believed that homosexuality is as legitimate as traditional sexual
orientation. 39% believed that homosexuals should be forcibly treated or kept apart from the rest of the
population. 4% believed that it is necessary to liquidate people of non-traditional sexual orientation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Societal_attitudes_toward_homosexuality#Russia
22penalties are fines of up to 1,550 American dollars for public-sector employees and up to
155 dollars for private individuals. Organisations can be fined up to 31,000 dollars.23
The law applies both to Russian citizens and foreigners who speak out in Russia, even though
the penalties are lower for foreigners. In principle, therefore, it can be used against all
participants or spectators at the games in Sochi. The Russian authorities have admittedly
declared that the law will not be applied during the games, but there is reason to question
the credibility of such promises. It may be that the authorities will be reserved about
enforcing the legal ban while the games are taking place, but that after the games the
persecution of Russian LGBTs will intensify.
On 3 July 2013 President Putin signed a law which forbids the adoption of Russian children if
the adoptive parents are in a same-sex relationship. The ban also applies to single adoptive
parents in countries which have same-sex marriage laws.
In September 2013 a bill to deprive homosexuals of parental rights was presented to the
Duma. Although the bill was met with critical objections there is a risk that the bill will be
passed in the course of 2014.
The Russian organisation Agora has recently published a report about 58 attacks on LGBTs
which it has investigated. According to the report there are around 7 million LGBTs in Russia.
What they have in common is that they are not protected by the police and prosecuting
authorities. Complaints are not registered and attacks are not investigated.24
There are many indications that the anti-propaganda law and the lack of investigation of
individual cases are perceived by extremist groups as a signal that hate crime and violence
against LGBTs are acceptable. A hate-crime monitoring centre, SOVA, has documented that
violent attacks on LGBTs by such groups have increased in the past year. The organisation
associates this with restrictive new legislation which limits the rights of civil society in
general and LGBTs and LGBT organisations in particular.25
The Russian media participate in spreading the authorities' homophobic views. Recently
human rights activists taking part in a meeting at the Holiday Inn in St Petersburg, where the
potential effects of the winter games for LGBTs in Russia were discussed, experienced a
recording of parts of the meeting being broadcast on the state TV channel Rossiya. This was
part of an hour-long programme in the "Special correspondent" series, which discussed
23
Amnesty International clearly states that the law breaches Russia's own constitution and the country's
international human rights obligations: http://amnesty.org/en/library/asset/EUR46/056/2013/en/a93b4e42-
650f-4bea-8f50-fc422c34c580/eur460562013en.pdf
24
Agora, 2013, LHBT: Without legal protection in Russia. The report is only available in Russian:
http://openinform.ru/fs/j_photos/openinform_396.pdf
Amnesty International, LLH and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee have asked the Russian authorities to take
such hate crime seriously and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice. See:
http://nhc.no/no/nyheter/Repressive+LGBTI+law+violates+human+rights.b7C_wlfW38.ips and
http://www.amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/russia-must-track-down-masked-assailants-after-
insidious-homophobic-attack-
25
http://www.sova-center.ru/en/xenophobia/reports-analyses/2013/08/d27659/#_Toc363769397
23whether homosexuals and "sodomites" are part of a Western plot to spread sin in Russia and
ruin the country.
According to participants the meeting was closed and the recording which was shown could
only have been made with the help of state surveillance.26
Discrimination against LGBTs contravenes the Olympic Charter, and the IOC has been
challenged to ensure that such discrimination does not take place during the games. The IOC
has clarified that the rule in the charter which forbids demonstrations and political, religious
or racist propaganda must not be interpreted as an absolute ban on critical statements.27
Provided that the participants do not use accredited areas they are free to criticise Russia's
laws.28
The Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports has also
stressed that athletes are free to voice criticism as long as they comply with the IOC's rules.
The confederation has prioritised efforts to counteract discrimination against and hate
towards homosexual athletes since 2007.29
Historically, political statements by participants in Olympic Games are nothing new. One of
the most well-known examples involves Tommie Smith, John Carlos and Peter Norman, who
demonstrated solidarity with the American civil rights movement during the Olympic Games
in Mexico City in 1968.30
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other human rights organisations have
criticised the IOC and the major international companies which are sponsoring the games for
being too reserved in their criticism of the Russian authorities.31
Attempts have been made to register a Pride House in Sochi, but the organisers were
refused permission by the authorities. European and American LGBT organisations are
attempting to get round the refusal by negotiating with individual participating countries to
set up a Pride House under their auspices.32
LGBT organisations or meeting places are not visible in Sochi. There is admittedly an LGBT
group on V Kontakte, Russia's answer to Facebook, but otherwise there is little organised
activity.33
26
http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/11/23/russia-s-anti-gay-laws-threaten-olympics-character
27
Olympic Charter Rule 50(3): "No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is
permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas."
28
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/dec/18/ioc-sochi-protest-rules-anti-gay-winter-olympics
29
http://www.idrett.no/nyheter/Sider/Sochi_og_diskriminering_av_homofile.aspx
30
http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2013/12/will-olympians-defy-protest-ban-stand-gay-rights-sochi/
31
Human Rights Watch's extensive criticism of the Sochi Olympics has been collated on the page:
http://www.hrw.org/russias-olympian-abuses See Amnesty International's criticism here:
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/sochi-winter-olympics-iocs-stance-affront-gay-and-lesbian-rights
32
http://newtimes.ru/articles/detail/63962?sphrase_id=105002
33
This section is based on interviews conducted in Sochi on 25-27 November 2013.
24One exception is a young man, Vladislav, who spoke to the Russian periodical New Times in
November 2013 about the situation for LGBTs in Sochi.34 Vladislav is 17 and describes his
situation as hell because his profile on V Kontakte had been hacked and made available to
all. In many schoolbooks homosexuality is still compared to criminality, substance abuse and
prostitution. When it became known at school that he was homosexual he experienced
bullying, having stones thrown at him and urine poured on him without any intervention on
the part of the school. On the other hand Vladislav says:
"The teachers ignore pretty much everything. A teacher said that I didn't actually belong to
any sexual minority but rather that it was just something I believed. The school psychologist
explained that it was my own fault."
Many people had hoped that the German Olympic delegation's choice of colours reflected
support for the LGBT milieu in Russia, but according to statements made by the German
Athletics Federation that is not the case.
34
http://newtimes.ru/articles/detail/74105?sphrase_id=105011
25VULNERABLE ENVIRONMENT UNDER PRESSURE
The environmental challenges for the Olympic Games in Sochi consist of toxic landfills,
swathes of national forests felled to make way for Olympic venues and palatial estates for
Russian politicians, poisoned rivers and drinking water, species nearing extinction and
limestone quarries gouged into protected areas. These will fade from public attention,
eclipsed by the race for medals.
Strip mining in protected areas. (Photo: Flickr)
Until the games begin builders are continuing to dump literally tons of untreated
construction and household waste in makeshift landfills, most of which remain
undocumented except by environmentalists, taking over protected areas throughout the
once pristine Krasnodar region – a giant failure in what Russia promised the IOC would be
“Zero Waste Games”.
According to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), 3.5 billion tons of waste
were generated during Olympic preparations in 2009 alone.
Olympic "Zero Waste" pledge appears empty
Construction vehicles and refuse lorries slow traffic to a Moscow-like gridlock on roads
between coastal, temperate Sochi, and the Caucasus Mountain ski slopes of Krasnaya
Polyana 45 kilometres to the north, causing smog that is completely alien to the area, local
environmental activists say.
The waste which is being documented has been generated partly because Sochi – where the
average February temperature hovers around 5-7°C – is just not a winter city. In other
words, the Russian Olympic Organising Committee’s Games-building effort has been an
exercise in building winter from scratch, which is akin to popularising igloos on Ibiza.
26To change the local seasonal cycle the Organising Committee has constructed – according to
its own statistics – more than a dozen venues in different coastal and mountain complexes,
with over 367 kilometres of roads, 200 kilometres of railway and 170 kilometres of gas
pipelines. Sochi has even stored 450,000 cubic metres of snow to ensure a white Olympics
come February 7.
Illegal dumping of solid construction waste continues in the hills above the Olympic village.
This is a still from a YouTube post tweeted by Gazaryan on December 13.
Dozens of local species of plant and animal life were at risk even before the Kremlin’s
Olympic juggernaut descended on the 1,938 square-kilometre site of Western Caucasus
National Park. These include the Persian leopard – which is now one of the mascots of the
Sochi Games. If it becomes extinct it will at least be commemorated on T-shirts and coffee
mugs.
Gazaryan and other members of the EWNC inspect clear cutting for roads to the Krasnaya
Polyana ski resort, a major Olympic venue. (Photo: EWNC)
27Apart from the now famous landfill in the town of Akhshtyr, the state’s Federal Service for
Supervision of Natural Resources, known as Rosprirodnadzor, has documented another 50
illegal landfills where Olympic construction companies covertly dispose of their waste
throughout the Krasnodar Region.
The Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources (Rosprirodnadzor) map of
illegal landfills in the Sochi area. Source: Yandex (Photo: Rosprirodnadzor, rendered in English
by Maria Kaminskaya/Bellona)
In addition to this, a good part of the cost of what are being billed as the most expensive
games in history has gone into clear-cutting protected forest areas in order to build gaudy
towering summer estates for Moscow’s hand-picked Olympic movers and shakers.
In all some 1,000 hectares of World Heritage forests have been levelled for cronies'
residences and their infrastructure – roads, helipads, power lines and an illegally-sited ski
resort.
28Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill’s "dacha" photographed by EWNC member Dmitri
Shevchenko in February 2011.
Gazaryan rattled off that in addition to the residences Putin also has two guest houses in the
Krasnaya Polyana area for visiting officials, has built in protected areas surrounding the
Olympic ski slopes, built a mansion for Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill near the village of
Divnomorskoye and two holiday homes for Russian businessman and former Defence
Minister Anatoly Serdyukov – one near the town of Anapa and another near the village of
Taman.
The environmental challenges linked to the Sochi Games should have been an
embarrassment to the IOC, but as IOC spokeswoman Emanuel Moreau writes the IOC Zero
Waste Policy is only applicable to the two weeks during which the Games take place: “Sochi
2014’s zero waste objective is linked to its operational waste at games-time and [the
Organising Committee has] given us every assurance of their commitment to that
objective.”35
35
http://www.insidethegames.biz/olympics/winter-olympics/2014/1016756-sochi-2014-environmental-
pledges-overshadowed-by-waste-dumping-allegations
29CORRUPTION
Corruption was widespread in the Soviet Union. Unfortunately developments in Russia
following the fall of the Soviet Union have not reduced the problem. Opposition politician
Alexei Navalny helped to mobilise the protest movement against President Putin precisely by
characterising the members of his party, United Russia, as "crooks and thieves". The protests
targeted electoral fraud, corruption and misrule. Millions demonstrated in Moscow and a
number of other cities in 2011 and 2012. Demonstrations are still being held, but fewer
people are participating.
Russia is in 127th place out of 177 states in Transparency International's corruption
perception index for 2013.36 Corruption and bribery play a part at all levels in dealings with
the public authorities. Everything from schools, hospitals and driving-test examiners to
building permits and public-sector tenders require bribes. The ownership of companies and
properties can be taken over through illegal transactions and outright theft without the
victim being able to expect that the police and courts will intervene. Which of the parties in a
dispute has the best contacts or can pay most is often decisive.
There are a number of well-known cases which demonstrate the extent of corruption and
fraud. One of the most well-known is the Magnitsky case. In 2008 Russian tax lawyer and
auditor Sergei Magnitsky exposed a tax fraud amounting to 230 million dollars. However,
those behind the fraud, several of whom were high-ranking civil servants in the Ministry of
the Interior, managed to have him imprisoned, charged with having defrauded the state
himself, and in the end he was killed in prison. He died on 16 November 2009 due to
mistreatment and a lack of medical assistance.
One of the reasons why the Magnitsky case has become so well-known is that his employer,
businessman Bill Browder, has started a worldwide campaign for "justice for Sergei
Magnitsky". Another reason is that Magnitsky himself was very diligent in documenting all
aspects of both the tax fraud and his own case.37 The USA has adopted a specific Magnitsky
law which denies visas and freezes the assets of people involved in the mistreatment of
Magnitsky or in similar cases.38 There are many of these, although not on such a large scale.
The corruption in North Caucasus has a number of distinguishing features. Due to the high
level of conflict the authorities here receive significant financial support for security and
development initiatives from the federal authorities in Moscow. According to Russian experts
the struggle for access to such financial resources has become an important factor in the
conflicts.39
The high level of corruption may also be a factor in recruitment to radical groups who are
behind terrorism. Corruption, torture and other human rights violations cause frustration
and bitterness in the population and these in turn lead to radicalisation.
36
http://www.transparency.org/cpi2013/results
37
The campaign's website: http://russian-untouchables.com/eng/
38
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr6156/text
39
"Sources of conflicts and developments in North Caucasus": http://www.kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/222451/
30The practice of buying public-sector positions also contributes. Such positions confer not
only political power but also access to major financial benefits and bribes. This applies to
employees in various types of public institutions, including the police, prosecuting
authorities and the judicial system. One of the reasons why criticism of the authorities is
cracked down on so severely is that such criticism is also a threat to the financial benefits.
Even though the Krasnodar region is in a relatively good financial position the same
mechanisms apply here. Kusjevka, which is the name of a village in the region, has become a
metaphor for the corrupt relationship between politicians and the security structures. The
case involves Mafia-like relationships. A clan collaborated with the local prosecuting
authorities to control the region in order to gain financial benefits. It stole and assaulted,
raped and killed dozens of people with the blessing of the police over a number of years. By
chance the case was raised in the media, which led to a court case beginning in 2013.40
According to the plan the building of Olympic facilities about 480 kilometres south west of
Kusjevka should have been completed in 2012. But at the beginning of 2013 many of the
building projects had still not been completed; in particular the cluster of facilities in the
mountain village of Krasnaya Polyana.
Unfinished facilities in Krasnaya Polyana in November 2013.
The delays contributed to the cost rising to over 50 billion dollars. This does not include the
cost of very extensive security. While many hotels are financed by private investors the
Olympic venues are financed from Russia's federal budget, state-owned companies and loans
from Vneshekonombank.41
40
http://www.novayagazeta.ru/topics/77.html
41
http://www.vedomosti.ru/sochi-2014/news/20858541/sostyazanie-za-15-trln
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