European Forum

Human Rights advisor Medvedev resigns

Ella Pamfilova, chief Human Rights advisor of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev reigned from office on 30 July, on the day that Medvedev signed the controversial law that gives the secret service FSB more power in some areas. Human rights groups have strongly criticized the signing of the law arguing that it would mean a return to the dark times in the Soviet Union, when the secret service KGB, the predecessor of the FSB, was supreme. In a reaction Pamfilova stated: “It is my personal decision, nobody forced me.”

Accepting Pamfilova’s resignation Medvedev is considering several candidates for the position of new presidential human rights council chief, the president’s press secretary said. Pamfilova, who has criticized the state of Russia’s legal system and democratic institutions in the past, proposed economist Alexander Auzan as her successor. Pamfilova also complained that the country’s political parties are “cut off from the people.” Pamfilova was appointed the head of the presidential human rights commission, later transformed into a council, in July of 2002.

Source: Volkskrant and RIA Novosti