ICC NOTE: In a decision which could only be considered an attempt to hide new human rights violations in Russia, the Kremlin has reduced the upcoming visit of the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights to just two days. The time would be insufficient for him to have an adequate view of the country. The commissioner has decided to cancel the trip all together citing the decision to follow through with the short trip would be “unjust” for matters of human rights. This comes on the heels of Pastor Donald Ossewaarde, an American pastor charged under Russia’s Yarovaya laws who’s appeal was rejected on September 30 of this year. 

10/11/2016 Russia (Moscow Times) – The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights has canceled his planned visit to Russia.

In a statement published on the Council of Europe’s website, Commissioner Nils Muiznieks cited “unacceptable restrictions imposed on his program” as the reason for the cancelation.

The Commissioner also wrote that Russian authorities wanted to restrict his October visit to just 48 hours in Moscow alone, which he believed “would not have allowed sufficient time to carry out a substantive country visit.”

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