Contemporary Russia, despite her official status as a “modern democracy”, casts great doubt on her “legitimacy”. Putin “tolerates” the fundamental human rights principles, but how freely can Russian citizens really speak? What is Russia’s stance on the matter of human rights and freedoms in comparison to the European traditions? And how do the current Russian “crack down” actions influence on her foreign policy with the other nations?
The focus of this book is both on revealing the nature of the declared normative human rights principles in Russia, and a more substantial analysis of the practical cases, identifying the general dynamics of human rights violations in 21st century Russia.
From the text:
– Historical background;
– Human rights;
– The case of Pussy Riot;
– Free Speech;
– The duality of coercion
Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: From the Past to the Present
1.1 State and Individual: “The Right to Swing the State’s First Ends Where the Man’s Rights Begin?”
1.1.1 The Definition, The Reasons and Some Methodological Controversies: the relationship between the power of state and the rights of individual in the context of the global international affairs.
1.1.2 State and individual: who governs whom?
1.1.3 Where do the people's rights begin and the state's authority end? Historical prospection from the European experience
1.1.4 How the state can be controlled by people themselves: system of mechanisms and regulations
1.2 Is It Possible to Make Russia Less Violent and More Liberal? Or How Did Russia Understand “The Rights of Others” in Her Historical Discourse?
1.2.1 What are the origins of human rights in Europe and Russia? and how do they understand them?
1.2.2 State in power: people’s friend or enemy?
1.2.3 Where is the root of the European and Russian diversity and where is the common ground of their resemblance?
1.2.4 Living in the bipolar world: communism and human rights
1.2.5 Living in the Post-Communist times. Whether is Russia ready to ensure her citizens with the basic political and civil human rights principles?
Chapter 2: Freedom of Speech in Modern Russia. The Pussy Riot’s Case. The Victims of a Political Prosecution or the Hooligans, who Harshly Disrupt Public Order?
2.1 Political resistance or devil's dances?
2.2 Detention. Birds in a cage
2.3 The “tragicomedy” starts. Prelude
2.4 Trial. The scene number 1
2.5 The scene number 2. Culmination
2.6 Final stages. Appeal to the Moscow City Court. Verdict number 2
2.7 Completion. The imprisonment
2.8 Aftermath. The stage is closed: contrition or simply PR?
2.9 The eternal question: Who is guilty? and what to do?
2.10 In search of the Investigators
2.11 Victims or “Spiritual Judges”
2.12 Vladimir Putin and Pussy Riot
2.13 Conclusions. Who is guilty and for what?
Chapter 3: The Duality of Coercion in Russia: Cracking Down on „Foreign Agent“
3.1 How coercion really works in Russia? System of carrot and stick
3.2 The Duality of “the Foreign Agent Law”
3.3 Some sort of discrimination
3.4 How does the state administration constrain NGOs? Reprisals in practice
3.5 The court proceeding over “the suspicious NGOs”. USAID and “Golos” examples
3.6 Conclusions
Objectives and Topics
This work aims to examine the deep cleavages and discontent between the Russian state and civil society in the 21st century by analyzing the state’s approach to human rights. It seeks to answer how historical, political, and cultural factors have shaped the current Russian government's repressive stance toward political dissent and civil society organizations.
- The comparative analysis of the European and Russian historical discourses regarding state and individual rights.
- An investigation of the "Pussy Riot" case as a study of freedom of speech and political prosecution.
- An evaluation of the duality of coercion through the "Foreign Agent Law" and its impact on independent NGOs.
- The influence of Putin’s “sovereign democracy” on the suppression of political opposition and civil society.
- The role of the Russian Orthodox Church and anti-Western rhetoric in maintaining state power.
Auszug aus dem Buch
1.1.2 State and individual: who governs whom?
To avoid any undue confusions over the issues what is the role of the official authority in the whole human rights systems? Does the government favor enough towards the basic needs of its own citizens? Or briefly, who serves whom? It might be appropriate to start with the question “is a state a positive or constructive force with responsibilities that should be enlarged, or is a negative or destructive entity that must be constrained or, perhaps, smashed altogether”14.
The shadow of the state falls upon almost every aspect of human activity. From domestic order to external defense, from social welfare to sanitation, from education to economic management the state shapes and controls, and where it does not do this, it authorizes, supervises, regulates or proscribes. The whole life of individuals is ultimately subject to the authority of the state, which is defined as “a set of institutions that are recognizable “public” and are responsible for the collective organization of social existence”15. In an attempt to perform its role of the “guarantor of social order”, it comprises the various institutions that embrace the political executive or government, the policy, the courts, the military, the social security system, etc.
It shows that even though in theory the state is portrayed as an independent subject with its aim to serve the common or collective good, the historical experience shows that the state could be effectively subordinated to its own government. In its turn, the government quite often could be biased in a favor of some privilege groups or a dominion class, while “non-elected state bodies (the civil service, the judiciary, the police, the military and so on) in this case, instead of being strictly impartial, frequently are subject to the authority of their political “master”16. Having been “occupied” by the interests of some governmental representatives, the state eventually loses its function of a “defender” (if it was in general) of the people's rights and interests, converted rather in their “suppressor”.
Summary of Chapters
Chapter 1: From the Past to the Present: This chapter establishes the theoretical and historical framework, comparing European and Russian understandings of state authority, the social contract, and the development of civil rights.
Chapter 2: Freedom of Speech in Modern Russia. The Pussy Riot’s Case. The Victims of a Political Prosecution or the Hooligans, who Harshly Disrupt Public Order?: This chapter investigates the Pussy Riot performance as a case study in political dissent, state repression, and the manipulation of judicial processes.
Chapter 3: The Duality of Coercion in Russia: Cracking Down on „Foreign Agent“: This chapter analyzes the mechanisms of state control over NGOs, focusing on the “Foreign Agent Law” and the resulting restrictions on civil society activism.
Keywords
Pussy Riot, Russia, Human Rights, Putin, Foreign Agent Law, Civil Society, Authoritarianism, Freedom of Speech, Political Opposition, State Repression, NGOs, Golos, Democratic Values, Sovereignty, Political Culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research examines the relationship between the Russian state and its citizens in the 21st century, specifically focusing on the state's attitude toward fundamental human rights and political opposition.
What are the central themes of the work?
Key themes include the comparative analysis of European and Russian political cultures, the evolution of state authority, the use of legal mechanisms to suppress dissent, and the role of NGOs in contemporary Russia.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to understand why the Russian state frequently violates human rights standards and to clarify the specific nature of its "crackdown" policies against activists and organizations.
Which research methods are employed?
The work utilizes historical, analytical, comparative, systemic, and normative methods, combined with a case study approach of the Pussy Riot protest and the regulation of NGOs.
What does the main body of the work address?
It covers the historical development of Russian political authority, a detailed study of the Pussy Riot trial, and an analysis of how the "Foreign Agent Law" is used as a tool for state coercion.
Which keywords best characterize this thesis?
The work is defined by concepts such as authoritarianism, political prosecution, civil society, sovereign democracy, and human rights violations within the context of modern Russia.
How does the author analyze the Pussy Riot case?
The author views the Pussy Riot case not just as an act of religious offense, but as a political performance that exposed the deep entanglement between the Russian Orthodox Church and Putin's authoritarian government.
What does the author conclude about the "Foreign Agent Law"?
The author concludes that this law serves as a "repressive measure" designed to silence independent political voices, undermine the role of NGOs, and perpetuate the regime’s control over civil society.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Anastasiia Kovalyshyna (Autor:in), 2015, Pussy and Other Riots. Russia's Human Rights Revolt in the 21st Century, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/351347
