Human Rights Resource Centre
An autonomous, non-commercial organization for informational and legal services

 

Human Rights Resource Centre was founded by lawyers and professionals in the field of non-commercial law. The organization has acquired a good reputation among lawyers, other professionals and NGOs. The highly qualified lawyers of the Human Rights Resource Centre work in four federal districts of Russia: the North-West, Volga , South, and Central Districts. 

Human Rights Resource Centre gives legal support to non-commercial, non-governmental organizations and the founders of such organizations. NGO's lawyers give consultations on the legal activities of non-commercial enterprises – they act as witnesses during registration, help with gathering documents for annual inspections, conduct legal audits, and help with pre-trial and trial defence in cases involving rights violations. Consultations are give in-person and by other means as well: by mail, by telephone (the national helpline number for rights support for NGOs is 8-800-3333-068), by e-mail (vopros@hrrcenter.ru), and online (at http://www.hrrcenter.ru/).

The national helpline for rights support for NGOs (8-800-3333-068) began working in April 2008. Anyone can call this number, toll-free, from either a mobile or land-line telephone from 11:00 to 17:00 (Moscow time) and will receive a legal consultation or can inform us of a rights violation in the sphere of NGO law. The lawyers of the Human Rights Resource Center monitor violations of the right to assembly and give advice to NGOs about the defence of their rights. One can familiarize oneself with these services by subscribing to the monthly social-rights digest Development. Help. Values at reg@hrrcenter.ru or on the website http://www.hrrcenter.ru/.

At the beginning of December 2008, Human Rights Resource Centre co-published with AGORA Nongovernmental: a decade of survival. The book analyzes the protection of rights in trials of Russian NGOs. The study is based on 250 cases, defended by law partnerships during 2006-2008. In June 2009, the Human Rights Resource Centre presented the report, Non-governmental: one year later. The report presents the results of a year-long study of the Ministry of Justice and its engagement with the non-commercial sector. The report monitors the right to assembly in the Russian Federation, based on telephone calls placed to Centre's national helpline for rights support (8-800-3333-068) between 12 May 2008 and 22 June 2009. This report was presented, by invitation of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, at the public hearings “Empirical Investigations of our Civic Society” on 25 September 2009.

The lawyers of Human Rights Resource Centre also take part in lawmaking procedures. Several of the Centre's lawyers submitted of legislative proposals to the Group on Issues for the Promotion of Non-Commercial Organizations. This Group exists as an advisory body to the President of the Russian Federation and is supposed to promote the development of civic-society and human rights defence institutions.

Since June 2009, Human Rights Resource Centre has set up “On-line Portal for Human Rights Information”, serving as a unifying resource for and about NGOs. Documents published include: government decisions and law cases affecting NGOs and important documents that should help the work of NGOs. The portal is also open for on-line discussions of rights violations that affect NGOs.

Maria Kanevskaia, J.D., director, and head of the national telephone helpline for rights support for NGOs (8-800-3333-068), tel.: 8-901-305-45-11, maria@hrrcenter.ru ;

Alla Namsaraeva, director of information and PR services, tel.: 8-921-910-32-94 alla@hrrcenter.ru.


The Human Rights Resource Center gives legal support to non-commercial, non-governmental organizations and the founders of such organizations. NGO's lawyers give consultations on the legal activities of non-commercial enterprises – they act as witnesses during registration, help with gathering documents for annual inspections, conduct legal audits, and help with pre-trial and trial defence in cases involving rights violations. Consultations are give in-person and by other means as well: by mail, by telephone (the national helpline number for rights support for NGOs is 8-800-3333-068), by e-mail (vopros@hrrcenter.ru), and online (at www.hrrcenter.ru).

The national helpline for rights support for NGOs (8-800-3333-068) began working in April 2008. Anyone can call this number, toll-free, from either a mobile or land-line telephone from 11:00 to 17:00 (Moscow time) and will receive a legal consultation or can inform us of a rights violation in the sphere of NGO law. The lawyers of the Human Rights Resource Center monitor violations of the right to assembly and give advice to NGOs about the defence of their rights. One can familiarize oneself with these services by subscribing to the monthly social-rights digest “Development. Help. Values” at reg@hrrcenter.ru or on the website www.hrrcenter.ru.

At the beginning of December 2008, the Human Rights Resource Center co-published with AGORA Nongovernmental: a decade of survival. The book analyzes the protection of rights in trials of Russian NGOs. The study is based on 250 cases, defended by law partnerships during 2006-2008. In June 2009, the Human Rights Resource Centre presented the report, Non-governmental: one year later. The report presents the results of a year-long study of the Ministry of Justice and its engagement with the non-commercial sector. The report monitors the right to assembly in the Russian Federation, based on telephone calls placed to Centre's national helpline for rights support (8-800-3333-068) between 12 May 2008 and 22 June 2009. This report was presented, by invitation of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, at the public hearings “Empirical Investigations of our Civic Society” on 25 September 2009.

The lawyers of the Human Rights Resource Centre also take part in lawmaking procedures. Several of the Centre's lawyers submitted of legislative proposals to the Group on Issues for the Promotion of Non-Commercial Organizations. This Group exists as an advisory body to the President of the Russian Federation and is supposed to promote the development of civic-society and human rights defence institutions.

Since June 2009, the Human Rights Resource Centre has set up “On-line Portal for Human Rights Information”, serving as a unifying resource for and about NGOs. Documents published include: government decisions and law cases affecting NGOs and important documents that should help the work of NGOs. The portal is also open for on-line discussions of rights violations that affect NGOs.

Maria Kanevskaia, J.D., director, and head of the national telephone helpline for rights support for NGOs (8-800-3333-068), tel.: 8-901-305-45-11, maria@hrrcenter.ru ;

Alla Namsaraeva, director of information and PR services, tel.: 8-921-910-32-94 alla@hrrcenter.ru.