Dokka Itslaev
Dokka Itslaev is a human rights lawyer who works in close cooperation with the Human Rights Centre “Memorial” in the Chechen Republic. Memorial is a human rights organisation that provides legal assistance to victims of gross human rights violations and is involved in the human rights education, research, and publications. Currently, Marina Dubrovina serves as defence counsels in the case of Ukrainian nationals Mr Nikolai Karpyuk and Mr Stanislav Klykh who have allegedly been involved with “Ukrainian National Assembly-Ukrainian People's Self-Defence (UNA-UNSO)”, an organisation recognised as nationalist in Russia.
Human rights defenders (HRDs) in the Russian Federation have been subjected to acts of harassment, surveillance, violations of the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly, violent attacks, raids and searches on their offices and homes, slander and smear campaigns, judicial harassment, arbitrary detention and ill-treatment.
Among the HRDs who are particularly at risk are those involved on issues such as election monitoring, the situation in the North Caucasus (particularly Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan), xenophobia and nationalism, and LGBTI rights. Environmental rights defenders have been particularly exposed to physical and verbal attacks in recent years. Those expressing criticism of the authorities or attempting to organise protests are also routinely targeted.
