Human rights in Russia Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics: Not just games

Political activity

In December 2011, Evgeny Vitishko participated in the elections of deputies to the Russian State Duma as a candidate of the "Yabloko" Party.

On December 9, 2011, Evgeny Vitishko planned to take part in the elections of the head of the Krymsk District of the Krasnodar Territory; however, he was withdrawn from the race by the court's decision for the alleged bribery of voters.

In 2012, he was nominated as a candidate from the "Yabloko" Party (the third number in the list) in the elections to the Legislative Assembly of the Krasnodar Territory.

In early 2013, Evgeny Vitishko announced his withdrawal from the "Yabloko" Party, although he was its member for 2 years and he was the Chairman of its Tuapse Regional Branch. According to him, he concluded that he would be more useful to the population as a social activist rather than as a member of a political party.

In 2013, Evgeny Vitishko was registered as a candidate for the position of the Tuapse Mayor from the "Yabloko" Party; however, he was withdrawn from the election by the decision of the city court.

Mikhail Valentinovich Savva

Mikhail Savva (born November 19, 1964, in Krasnodar) is a Russian human rights defender, political analyst, social and political activist. He is Honoured Professor of the Kuban State University, Doctor of Political Sciences, and Candidate of Sociology Sciences. In April 2013, he was arrested on charges of fraud.

Education, research and teaching activities

He is Candidate of Sociology Sciences (awarded in 1993) and Doctor of Political Sciences (awarded in 2000).

Since 1996, works as Associate Professor and then as Professor at the Kuban State University (KubSU).

Government work experience

In 1993-1994, he worked as the head of the Department for Nationalities, Regional Policy and Migration of the Administration of the Krasnodar Territory.

In 1994-1995, he worked as the head of the Department for Nationalities of the Russian Ministry for Nationalities and Regional Policy.

In 1995-1996, Mikhail Savva served as the deputy head of the Administration of the Krasnodar Territory (and presented the Administration at the Legislative Assembly of the Krasnodar Territory).

In 1997-2001, he worked as the deputy head and then the head of the Department for Public and Interregional Relations of the Krasnodar Administration.

Social activities

In 2007-2012, he worked as the leader of the project "Legal aid to migrants in Krasnodar Territory" under the grant provided by the "MacArthur Foundation".

In 2010-2011, Mikhail Savva developed the project "Social approval as tool for enhancing civic participation" under the grant provided by the "Cooperation Fund of Black Sea Basin".

Prosecutions

The searches were conducted at the apartment of Mikhail Savva and at the office of the "Southern Regional Resource Centre".

On May 13, 2013, Mikhail Savva faced the second accusation of fraud. According to investigators, he received from the KubSU the amount of 90,000 roubles for a course of lectures actually not presented by him.

Mikhail Savva pleaded not guilty. In the first case, apart from Mikhail Savva, the second defendant is Viktoria Remmler, the head of a marketing company that conducted sociological research. Viktoria Remmler has admitted her guilt.

On April 27, 2013, Krasnodar hosted a rally in support of Mikhail Savva. Protestors demanded to stop criminal proceedings against him and collected about 100 signatures on a petition to President Putin.

On June 17, 2013, the "Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners" recognized Mikhail Savva as a political prisoner.5

On October 30, 2013, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" included Mikhail Savva in the list of seventy prisoners.

In November 2013, the Russian Presidential Council on Human Rights appealed to General Prosecutor Yuri Chaika with a request to ask the court to change the pre-trial restriction measure against Mikhail Savva to the form not associated with incarceration. On November 29, the Pervomaisky District Court of Krasnodar extended the detention of Mikhail Savva till January 30.

On December 4, Mikhail Savva was placed under home arrest. The decision to change the pre-trial restriction measure was made by the court as a result of consideration of a complaint filed by Vladimir Lukin, Russian Ombudsman.

On December 20, 2013, the Pervomaisky District Court of Krasnodar again held a preliminary court hearing in the case against Mikhail Savva. The Court dismissed his motion to return the case materials to the Prosecutor's Office in connection with the violations in the indictment.

Publications

• 
  Ethnic status (conflictology analysis of social phenomenon). Krasnodar. 1997.
  
• 
  Media, power, and ethnic conflict (relationship on example of the Krasnodar Territory). Krasnodar. 2002 (co-authored with E. V. Savva).
  
• 
  New Diasporas of the Krasnodar Territory. Krasnodar. 2006.
  
• 
  Club of Political Analysts of "Krasnodar News": Dialogs (not of Plato)/Edition. Krasnodar: Kuban University, 2010.
  
• 
  Social advertising in Krasnodar: new trends.//Social and Humanitarian Gazette of Southern Russia. 2010. No. 1. P. 44-49.
  
• 
  Ethnic situation in the CIS and Baltic countries: Krasnodar Territory.//Ethnic situation and conflicts in the CIS and Baltic countries. Annual report for 2009. Moscow, Publishing House of the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology. 2010. P. 397-404.
  
• 
  Development dynamics of Armenian communities in Krasnodar Territory: problems and prospects.//Questions of self-organization of the Armenian communities in the South of Russia. Yerevan. 2010, (in Armenian). P. 1240-170.
  
• 
  Ideal schemes for expulsion of foreigners.//Migration, 21st Century. Independent information analytical magazine. Moscow, 2011. No. 2 (5). P. 63-65.