Feedback On April 26–28, HRDC Memorial will hold a presentation of the “30 Years Before” project. In concert with independent media outlets, human rights activists, experts, and members of civil society, “30 Years Before” is trying to understand what made the current regime
in Russia possible. During the presentation speakers from Russia, Ukraine, and France will discuss war, political crackdowns, minorities, human rights, and transitional justice.
28 April, La Gaîté Lyrique, 3bis rue Papin, Paris
14:00 — 15:30 CET
Simultaneous Russian ↔ French translation will be provided throughout the proceedings
Online broadcasting in Russian and French
Roundtable Immigrants and Other Vulnerable Groups
Humaneness, non-violence, and avoidance of hatred were important messages of those who seemingly democratised Russia in 1991. In the years that followed, however, hatred, violence, and dehumanization were not countered by the society at large. Consequently, such ingredients of Russia’s “negative identity” as xenophobia and discrimination against refugees, ethnic minorities, and other minorities have become the “glue” holding Putin’s Russia together. The outcome has been sad. Russia set an anti-record in 2023: never before had it granted refugee status to such a small number of people. The situation with minority rights is no better.
The panellists on this roundtable will discuss different aspects of these processes: Russia as a “country of refuge,” ethnic discrimination, and the situation faced by people in Chechnya and Ukraine.
Panellists:
● Svetlana Gannushkina, human rights activist, Civic Assistance Foundation,
“The Russian Federation as a country of refuge”
● Stefania Kulaeva, human rights activist, Anti-Discrimination Centre “Memorial” (ADC Memorial),
“The experience of defending the rights of minorities and migrants: 30 years of fighting against racism”
● Mairbek Vatchagaev, historian, researcher, and author,
“Problems and successes in integrating Chechens in Western countries”
Moderator: Anne Le Roux, sociologist and lecturer