The results of the project “Countering Hate Speech: Monitoring and Public Action” in Ryazan have been summed up

On March 26, 2007, a press conference was held in Ryazan, at which Ryazan public activists summed up the results of the next stage of the project "Counteraction to hate speech: monitoring and public actions" in the region . The press conference was attended by director of the Ryazan School of Human Rights Sofia Ivanova, executive director of the Ryazan branch of the Russian Movement "For Human Rights" Alexander Bekhtold, coordinator of the action "No swastikas on the streets of Ryazan!" Yulia Piskunova, and head of the legal group of the Ryazan School of Human Rights Sergey Kuznetsov.

S. Ivanova noted that the materials on hate speech, sent to all Ryazan media within the framework of the project, did not go unnoticed by journalists - periodicals in Ryazan and the Ryazan region became much more attentive to manifestations of hate speech. In addition, the number of xenophobic graffiti on the streets of the city has decreased, and now they are being destroyed not by activists of the Ryazan School of Human Rights, but by the relevant services of the city administration.

Another success of the Ryazan human rights activists was the criminal case against activists of the local RNE, which is now accepted for consideration by the Ryazan Railway Court.

Despite the fact that the project is coming to an end (the official end date is March 30), Ryazan human rights activists are not going to stop working in this area. In particular, S. Ivanova said that a new project has already been developed, within the framework of which anti-fascist posters will appear on city billboards, calling for tolerance and mutual respect between representatives of all nations and nationalities living in our region.

Sources

• Human rights activists in Ryazan summed up the results of combating "hate speech" // 7 news (Ryazan). 2007. March 26.