FINROSFORUM

FINROSFORUM

FINROSFORUM  //  The Finnish-Russian Civic Forum strives to promote cooperation between the peoples of Finland and Russia by supporting civic initiatives for democracy, human rights, and freedom of speech.

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Jan 17 / 2:56pm

Russia Making a Mockery of Human Rights

by Kerkko Paananen

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The Russian Foreign Ministry has published a report on the human rights situation in various countries. The starting point of the report is one of double standards: The report only focuses on human rights in countries, with which Russia is looking for discord.

The report devotes several pages to Finland. It seems that Moscow regards Finland as a similar target for pressure and part of its “near abroad” as the Baltic States. The report directs accusations against Finland using the same sort of demagoguery as against the Baltic States.

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Filed under  //  Democracy   EU   Europe   FINROSFORUM   Finland   Human Rights   Russia   Tuomioja  
 
Jan 17 / 2:46pm

Venäjä irvailee ihmisoikeuksilla

by Kerkko Paananen

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Venäjän ulkoministeriö on julkistanut raportin maailman ihmisoikeustilanteesta. Raportin peruslähtökohta on kaksinaismoralistinen: siinä kiinnitetään huomiota ihmisoikeustilanteeseen vain niissä maissa, joiden kanssa Venäjä hakee ongelmia.

Suomelle raportissa on omistettu monta sivua. Näyttää siltä, että Moskova pitää Suomea samanlaisena painostuksen kohteena ja "lähiulkomaana" kuin Baltian maat. Raportissa Suomea syytellään samanlaisin demagogisin ottein kuin Baltian maita.

Silmänlumeeksi raportti toistaa YK:n huomautuksia epäkohdista Suomen ihmisoikeustilanteessa, joiden korjaamiseksi velvollisuutemme onkin toimia. Tämä on kuitenkin vain veruke Suomeen kohdistuvalle tiedotusoperaatiolle, jossa hyökkäyskärjeksi on nostettu suomalais-venäläiset lastenhuoltokiistat.

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Filed under  //  Demokratia   EU   Eurooppa   FINROSFORUM   Ihmisoikeudet   Suomi   Tuomioja   Turvallisuus   Venäjä  
 
Dec 9 / 4:36pm

EU-Russia NGO Body Condemns Crackdown

by Kerkko Paananen

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Statement by the Steering Committee of the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum

Russian authorities should ensure that Russian citizens are able to excercise the rights to freedom of assembly and expression when demanding free and fair elections

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Filed under  //  Civil Society   Democracy   Duma   EU   Elections   Forum   Human Rights   Russia  
 
Dec 2 / 12:44am

EU-Russia Civil Society Forum supports GOLOS

by Kerkko Paananen

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Statement of the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum In Support of the GOLOS Association and Independent Monitoring of Russian State Duma Elections

We, members of the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum, find any pressure on independent elections observers absolutely inadmissible. We believe that the implementation of the principle of open and unlimited independent monitors’ access to any elections is an essential feature of a democracy.

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Filed under  //  Civil Society   Duma   EU   Elections   Forum   GOLOS   Russia   Warsaw  
 
Dec 2 / 12:26am

EU-Russia Civil Society Forum in Warsaw

by Kerkko Paananen

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More than 60 representatives of Russian and EU civil society organisations gathered for the second meeting of the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum in the Polish capital, Warsaw, on 1-2 December 2011. The conference follows up on the founding meeting of the Civil Society Forum in Prague in March 2011. The forum brings together NGOs and activists from across Europe and Russia and is set up as a permanent platform for cooperation.

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Filed under  //  Civil Society   Conference   EU   FINROSFORUM   Forum   Poland   Russia   Warsaw  
 
Oct 31 / 12:59pm

Helsinki 2.0

by Kerkko Paananen

As the first step of an initiative to mobilise the European Union against Vladimir Putin's regime and in support of democratic reforms in Russia, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament will sponsor an international conference on 9-10 November 2011 in Helsinki. The venue was chosen as a symbolic reminder of the "Helsinki process," which in the 1970s, in the midst of the Cold War, led to East-West rapprochement by giving birth to the CSCE-OSCE and, in the final analysis, to the implosion of the East European Communist bloc. Participants of the conference on 9-10 November 2011 will include former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and several signatories of the Helsinki Final Act of 1975.

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Filed under  //  ALDE   Democracy   EU   Finland   Helsinki   Human Rights   Kasyanov   Russia   Verhofstadt  
 
Aug 24 / 3:24am

The Sarko-Puto Pact

by Kerkko Paananen

The European Union should join Russia in creating a counterbalance to the US, Chinese, and Indian economies, Jean-Pierre Thomas, special representative of the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, on French-Russian business relations, said. Speaking in an interview with Russia's Vedomosti daily, Mr Thomas said President Sarkozy would present a report in autumn 2011 that would include a plan on creating a common economic area between Russia and France.

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Filed under  //  Caucasus   EU   France   Medvedev   Putin   Russia   SPIEF   Sarkozy   Thales   Vedomosti  
 
Jul 21 / 2:05am

Suomi antoi etsintäkuulutetulle KGB-everstille viisumin

by Kerkko Paananen

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Liettua on antanut eurooppalaisen pidätysmääräyksen KGB:n eversti Mihail Golovatovista, jota syytetään Vilnan veriteoista vuonna 1991. Itävallan viranomaiset pidättivät Golovatovin Wienin lentokentällä 14.7., mutta vapauttivat miehen muutaman tunnin kuluttua. Venäjän ulkoministeriö oli lehtitietojen mukaan ollut asiassa yhteydessä Wieniin. Moskova kiistää kuitenkin painostaneensa Itävaltaa.

Asiasta syntynyt skandaali on iso uutinen sekä Itävallassa että Liettuassa. On selvinnyt, että Golovatov on eurooppalaisesta pidätysmääräyksestä huolimatta matkustellut EU-maissa Suomen myöntämän Schengen-viisumin turvin. Hän on Itävallan ulkoministeriön tietojen mukaan käynyt Suomessa viisi kertaa sen jälkeen, kun Liettua antoi pidätysmääräyksen lokakuussa 2010.

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Filed under  //  EU   FSB   Golovatov   Itävalta   KGB   Liettua   Viisumi  
 
Jun 15 / 6:07am

Khodorkovsky: Western Realpolitik Big Mistake

by Kerkko Paananen

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The West has paid too little attention to the human rights situation in Russia, the former head of the now defunct YUKOS oil company, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, said. Speaking in a written interview with four Western newspapers -- The Wall Street Journal, Le Figaro, Il Mondo, and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, -- Mr Khodorkovsky blamed the West for passivity in monitoring the respect of human rights in Russia. Such a position will cost dearly to both Russia and Europe, he warned.

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Filed under  //  Democracy   EU   Europe   G8   Khodorkovsky   Medvedev   Putin   Realpolitik   Russia   USA   YUKOS  
 
May 25 / 3:46am

Visa-free travel to double border traffic

by Kerkko Paananen

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Removing the visa requirement for travel between the European Union and Russia would bring millions of new visitors from Russia to Finland, according to a report compiled the Finnish Customs, the Finnish Border Guard, and the Finnish Police. The report estimates that traffic on Finland’s eastern border would increase from the current 8 million to around 15 million border crossings per year, Helsingin Sanomat reports.

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Filed under  //  EU   Finland   Russia   Tourism   Travel   Visa