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Human Rights Council, Public Chamber may create code of conduct for human rights activists

MOSCOW, January 16. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights and Public Chamber may create a code of conduct for human rights activists.

Head of the State Duma’s task group on public control development and protection of prisoners’ rights Vladimir Osechkin put the initiative forward, the Izvestiya daily reported on Thursday. He invited the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights and the Public Chamber to hold a meeting in February to discuss this initiative.

“At present, a whole set of problems in human rights activities have brewed up,” he said in an interview with Izvestiya. “It is related to issues of financing and moral image of a human rights activist.”

He added that many people used this status “for own publicity stunt and do not protect anyone’s rights.”

Moreover, Osechkin said some people tried to politicize this sphere, what was impermissible. “We should not be afraid of speaking openly about problems, including those related to law enforcers’ violations, but at the same time there is no need to politicize the process.”

The State Duma ethics commission supported Osechkin’s idea.