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Ex-human rights official sees no ground to deprive Gaidar’s fund of presidential grant

Media reported earlier that Russia’s human rights ombudsperson Ella Pamfilova said she would propose depriving Gaidar’s Social Demand fund of receiving the presidential grant

Russia’s former human rights ombudsman Vladimir Lukin ITAR-TASS/Valeriy Sharifulin

Russia’s former human rights ombudsman Vladimir Lukin

© ITAR-TASS/Valeriy Sharifulin

MOSCOW, July 20. /TASS/. Russia’s former human rights ombudsman Vladimir Lukin has said Monday he does not see grounds to deprive the Social Demand fund headed by Maria Gaidar of presidential grant.

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"Is this Gaidar’s own fund? As far as I know, it’s not. Gaidar is a director there, but it can have a different director," Lukin, who also serves as a member of the commission on allocating presidential grants to human rights non-governmental organizations, told TASS.

"A grant is allocated if it is proved that the fund intends to carry out activities that benefit the society, and the grant is allocated precisely for these activities," Lukin stressed adding that the date for the next session of the commission on presidential grants has not been set yet.

Media reported earlier that Russia’s human rights ombudsperson Ella Pamfilova said she would propose depriving Gaidar’s Social Demand fund of receiving the presidential grant. Pamfilova, who also serves as chairperson of commission on allocating grants, added the decision is connected with Gaidar’s new position as Deputy Governor of Ukraine's Odessa region.

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