{"id":340,"date":"2020-02-28T11:43:33","date_gmt":"2020-02-28T15:43:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsletters.asucollegeoflaw.com\/irls\/?p=340"},"modified":"2020-02-28T12:01:55","modified_gmt":"2020-02-28T16:01:55","slug":"human-rights-in-russia-professor-melissa-hooper-testifies-on-the-hill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/newsletters.asucollegeoflaw.com\/irls\/2020\/02\/28\/human-rights-in-russia-professor-melissa-hooper-testifies-on-the-hill\/","title":{"rendered":"Human Rights in Russia \u2013 Professor Melissa Hooper Testifies on the Hill"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Jacob Kostrzewski<\/strong>. Jacob is the Program Coordinator for the International Rule of Law and Security Program at the Sandra Day O\u2019Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. Jacob earned his Masters of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University\u2019s School of Foreign Service in 2018. <\/em><\/p>

On the fifth anniversary of the unresolved murder of Russian opposition leader<\/a> and President Vladimir Putin critic Boris Nemtsov in the heart of central Moscow, the U.S. House of Representatives\u2019 Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission<\/a> held a hearing on the current state of human rights<\/a> in Russia. Human Rights First\u2019s Melissa Hooper<\/a>, who teaches in ASU Law\u2019s IRLS program, testified<\/a>, providing an overview of the latest human rights developments in Russia, and how the U.S. government could support human rights activists and defenders in the country.<\/p>

Boris Nemtsov was assassinated while walking across the street from the Kremlin on February 27, 2015 for his efforts to expose human rights abuses in Russia, Professor Hooper testified. As with many killings of opposition activists and human rights defenders in Russia, Nemtsov\u2019s killing remains \u201cunsatisfactorily resolved.\u201d Five men were convicted in 2016 by a Russian court<\/a> of Nemtsov\u2019s murder, but many, including Nemtsov\u2019s family, believe the trial to be a \u201ccover-up\u201d with the real perpetrators, likely acting on Putin\u2019s orders, living free.<\/p>

\u201cOne of the hallmarks of a society governed by the rule of law,\u201d Lantos Commission Co-Chairman James McGovern, U.S. Representative (D) from Massachusetts, stated during the hearing, is the ability of individuals to express their dissatisfaction with and opposition to the government without fear of reprisal. In Russia, however, impunity for murders of government critics remains \u201cthe norm,\u201d Professor Hooper testified, and the human rights situation in Russia continues to deteriorate. Human rights defenders<\/a>, journalists<\/a>, and lawyers<\/a> are regularly targeted for work deemed critical of the Putin regime or for anything that sheds light on the human rights conditions in the country.<\/p>

While the situation in Russia remains dire, there may be reason to be cautiously optimistic that winds of change are in the air. Last year saw mass protests against the Putin regime, a sign of growing dissatisfaction with conditions in the country, Professor Hooper said. Harsh police crackdowns followed<\/a>, as usual, but the response from members of the country\u2019s elite was novel: Russian Orthodox priests, celebrities, and even Duma (Russia\u2019s Parliament) members from Putin\u2019s own party criticized the government for its harsh response. In the past, these groups would never have dared to criticize the Kremlin, Professor Hooper testified.<\/p>

So, what can countries such as the United States do to support Russian human rights defenders at this critical time? Professor Hooper outlined four possible steps for the Administration and the U.S. Congress to take:<\/p>