On 28 August 2014, Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia Ella Pamfilova received delegation from Switzerland headed by Claude Wild, Head of the Human Security Division, Political Affairs Directorate, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. The Ambassador of Switzerland to the Russian Federation Pierre Helg was another participant to the meeting.

On 28 August 2014, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation Ella Pamfilova sent an official letter to Chief Military Prosecutor Sergei Fridinsky. The letter contains mass media quotes claiming of numerous deaths of Russian servicemen. In this respect the Commissioner expresses her deep concern, asks to investigate the case and to provide her with the detailed information.

On 18 August 2014, Russian Commissioner for Human Rights Ella Pamfilova appealed against the parliamentary initiative to deprive a Russian Mashina Vremeni band leader Andrey Makarevich of state awards for the performance in Ukraine.

On 15 and 16 August, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation Ella Pamfilova made a working visit to the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. In the course of the visit Ms Pamfilova met with Human Rights Commissioner in Crimea Lyudmila Lubina and representatives of social and human rights organisations in Crimea and Sevastopol. Key topics of the meetings were human rights situation in the region, citizenship, social and economic rights, formation of social and supervisory commissions, as well as development of proposals related to refugee issues in Crimea.

On 13 August 2014, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation Ella Pamfilova congratulated Yury Orlov, founder and the first chairman of the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG), on his 90th anniversary.

In the course of the visit Ella Pamfilova met with Astrakhan Region Governor Alexander Zhilkin. Later on Ms Pamfilova took part in the coordination meeting chaired by Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy Assistant Anatoly Safronov, where the participants, along with the regional commissioners, discussed pressing problems related to ensuring of human rights in the Southern Federal District. In addition, the Commissioner visited the temporary accommodation facilities provided to refugees from Ukraine, spoke to the migrants, and examined conditions of their accommodation.

Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation Ella Pamfilova addressed the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Valeriya Lutkovskaya with request to assist in localizing journalist Andrey Stenin gone missing in Ukraine. “We regret to address again to our colleague for help, on the occasions when such extraordinary situations happen with our journalists on the territory of Ukraine. We would like to hope that eventually all necessary conditions for the work of the Russian journalists will be created and, above all, their security will be ensured – in accordance with international regulations,” Ms Pamfilova said.

In the end of July, officials from the Human Rights Commissioner Office in Russia examined SIZO-1 of the FPS of Russia in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol and detected some violations in the prisoners’ confinement conditions. However, the violations were not connected with their alleged wish to keep Ukrainian citizenship.

On 7 August, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation Ella Pamfilova met with Deputy Head of the ICRC regional delegation in Russia, Belorussia, and Moldova Bruno Uskine and the Protection Coordinator of the ICRC’s regional delegation in Russia and Belorussia Alessia Bertelli.

and appeals again to Ukrainian authorities to open humanitarian passage to evacuate ill children. Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia Ella Pamfilova hails the creation of the humanitarian passage route for 430 Ukrainian servicemen and appeals again to the Ukrainian authorities to open secure passage routes for evacuation of ill children from Donetsk and Lugansk.