The last show of Astakhov

The author of the petition for the resignation of Pavel Astakhov - about who could become the successor of the "showman" and "amateur"

The Commissioner for the Rights of the Child in Russia Pavel Astakhov will probably still leave his post. Two days after the first rumors about his resignation, he confirmed in an interview with RBC to the RBC that he submitted the appropriate petition to the president, but suggested waiting for him to make the decision. The author of the petition for the resignation of Astakhov, who in just a few days gaining more than 150 thousand signatures, tells Radio Liberty whom he would like to see as a children's ombudsman.

In the same interview with RBC, Pavel Astakhov urged not to associate his resignation with an online patronage on the Change.org website , which was posted there after his words “how they switched”, said to the girls who survived the tragedy on the Syamozer. "The prerogative of the right to appoint or remove the authorized President of Russia belongs only to the president, neither petitions, nor social networks, nor rallies," he said.

However, the very fact that Astakhov mentioned this petition (and the second time on June 29, he called the Change.org "American", and voting for his resignation - "bots") is already saying. The appeal to Putin in record terms gained more than 150 thousand signatures. From the outside it may seem that it was a lively response of people on the next “pearl” of the Ombudsman that became, if not the main reason for his resignation, then at least one of its triggers. The Internet has long been divided into two conditional camps-those who place both enthusiastically sign all kinds of online patterns, and those who consider this meaningless and even harmful business . Astakhov’s case will probably add glasses and arguments first.

The petition to the resignation of Pavel Astakhov was placed on the Change.org activist of the Yabloko party Yegor Reshetov . In an interview with Radio Liberty, he tells what claims have accumulated with him to the Commissioner for the Rights of the Child, whether it makes sense in Russia the existence of such a position and whom he would like to see Astakhov’s successor at his post.

- You posted a petition, it scored more than 150 thousand votes in a record time, and literally a few days later your demand was fulfilled. What do you feel now that the resignation of Astakhov has become a solved case?

- Now that this resignation has become a solved case, - well, what, I'm glad! A person who is clearly unsuitable for this position will cease to occupy it - this is a positive phenomenon. There are not very many such phenomena in our country in the political sphere, so I want to at least enjoy something. True, the question opens up who will be instead of him, but six months ago such a question did not stand at all, so this is also a positive moment.

-Only the words “how to swim”, said by one of the girls who survived on a Syamozer, prompted you to actively seek the resignation of Astakhov or something else? For seven years, he has been holding the position of Commissioner for the Rights of the Child and managed to be remembered not only by this.

- Yes, there were many different statements. Initially, publishing the petition was prompted by just this statement “how to swim”, but in general there are a lot of complaints about it. This is not least the “ Law of Dima Yakovlev ”, this is also almost unnoticed, but the extremely vile proposal of two years ago, addressed to teachers, so that they are not shy to knock on their students , if necessary, to the police and the commission of minors. This is the absolute ignore on the part of Astakhov of the new Law of Yarovo - Ozerov , who is directly directed against adolescents who will now be judged for non -renewal of terrorist acts, possible riots, for participating in these actions. Well, perhaps the most basic.

- This is not counting the wedding of a Chechen policeman with a minor and words said in this regard about "wrinkled women"; In addition to the fact that the Astakhov family lives in France; Apart from many other accusations that were made to him. Or are these things not so important?

- No, these things are not so important as what I listed, and as an assessment of Astakhov’s activities from the human rights community, people who are engaged in public and volunteer activities. These people were waiting for his resignation, they fought for this, as they could, resisted his amateurish, partly the Showmen approach to working with children, including with orphans. This is a whole complex of reasons.

-Is there something that you can praise Astakhov for these 7 years?

-To praise ... perhaps, for some small things, because in connection with his activities, he repeatedly helped in specific cases. I can’t remember bright stories, but I have no doubt that they were - in view of what position he occupied, and in view of what opportunities he had.

- You said that the question remains open about who will take the place of Astakhov. Does the existence of such a position as a children's ombudsman make sense in modern Putin Russia? Can a decent person be presented to this position?

“ There are two questions, and I will allow myself to answer them in order.” The position of children's Ombudsman as an independent position under the President of the Russian Federation - he is not a federal Ombudsman, as an Commissioner for Human Rights, and an official under the President - this position hardly makes sense in Russia. Because this is a non -self -state person, he is appointed and removed by the presidential decree, he does not have his own apparatus, the duties of his apparatus are performed by employees of the apparatus of the Public Chamber.

I know from half a twentieth people who would have coped better than Astakhov

Perhaps it would make sense to create an institution of the Commissioner for the Rights of the Child, the same as all other institutions of specialized ombudsmen-in business, some other issues, on the affairs of veterans, pensioners and other social groups, in the rank of deputy federal Ombudsman. It is more harmful to create these numerous positions yourself than useful. This erodes the status of the Commissioner for Human Rights, and makes it one of many ordinary officials.

The answer to the second question is whether there can be a decent person with a good reputation in this position. Yes, without a doubt, maybe. And I know, if not a dozen, then definitely half a hundred people who would cope with this much better than Astakhov.

- Who are these people?

- In this post, I would be glad to see, for example, by social activists of Alexander Knitlova or Olga Sinyaeva . Or, for example, the Commissioner for Human Rights in St. Petersburg, Alexander Shishlov , the Commissioner for Child Rights in Moscow, Yevgeny Bunimovich , another social activist- Elizabeth Glinka . It seems to me that she would also do this excellently. Or maybe one of the human rights activists, for example, Andrei Babushkin is a famous, active person who can work 20 hours a day. I think after the showman it will be just what is needed, ”says Yegor Reshetov.

Pavel Astakhov was the second Russian Commissioner for the Presidential Rights. He took his post in 2009, replacing the experienced human rights activist Alexei Golovan on it, who worked for only 4 months. According to political scientist Alexei Mukhin, Astakhov received this position "as a reward" for the creation of the All -Russian movement "for Putin", which declared the president the "leader of the nation."

For the following seven years, Astakhov managed to be remembered by a number of ambiguous statements. He supported the "Law of Dima Yakovlev", which deprived the Russian orphans of the chance to be adopted in the United States, justified the Chechen policeman who took the wife of a minor Louise Goylabiev, argued that his resignations were achieved exclusively by "pedophiles." Astakhov more than once recalled the fact that his wife and youngest son live in France, on the Cote d'Azur.

On Saturday, the RIA Novosti agency confirmed with reference to the "Sources in the Kremlin" that Astakhov was leaving his post - according to the agency, the resignation will be issued a month later, when its planned vacation will end.