On 16 February, in Moscow, the Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Siberian Federal District Nikolai Rogozhkin held a video conference regarding interaction of state authorities and local self-government bodies with human rights commissioners in the federal district’s territorial entities.

Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia Ella Pamfilova, Chairman of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, Counsellor to the President Mikhail Fedotov, regional human rights commissioners of the SFD, deputies to regional governors in charge of internal policy issues and general federal inspectors also took part in the meeting.

It has been mentioned that the formation of the institute of commissioners for human rights in the regions of the Siberian Federal District has been almost completed by now. The commissioners perform their duties in eleven territorial entities of the SFD, except for the Tyva Republic where the ombudsman has not been appointed yet. The Coordination Council has been created to discuss the workflow enhancing practice and experience, current issues of the institute, and to develop an approach to the problems.

In the course of the meeting Mr Rogozhkin noted that the general federal inspectors of the plenipotentiary envoy’s office in the regions have been instructed to strengthen interaction with the regional ombudsmen. He urged the state officials and the ombudsmen to analyse the current practice of legal, organisational, financial support and implementation of the guarantees of the regional commissioners’ independence.

For reference

The post of the Commissioner For Human Rights in Russia is provided for by the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The Commissioner is mandated to consider applications from citizens regarding human rights violations and to initiate inspections in relation thereto. The letters of appeal and letters of opinion drawn up by the Commissioner as a result of such inspections shall be considered in the authorities and organisations where they are addressed to.

Source: Official website of the Siberian Federal District