Business Seeks Protection

Krasnodar, 15 January. The Autonomous non-commercial organisation “Platform for work with entrepreneurs’ addresses ‘FOR BUSINESS’” together with the regional branch of the NGO OPORA Russia and with support of the The Yug Times’ Business Communications Agency have organised an online conference to discuss the rights of entrepreneurs in Krasnodar krai. 

Speaking at the conference, Daniel Bashmakov of OPORA Russia stressed that the current situation with protection of entrepreneurs’ rights in the Kuban region is quite difficult. 

He also noted that the issue of the pressure of law enforcement and administrative structures on business circles remains painful in the region. At the same time, he emphasised that human rights activists are working seriously, and without them the situation would have been much more complicated. 

Irina Malei, FOR BUSINESS Deputy Director, reported that in 2020, their organisation received 126 complaints, of which 65 referred to the acts of police officers. “Twelve persons appealed to us complaining about the offences committed by the Investigative Committee. Besides, the acts of the regional FSB with regard to six other entrepreneurs were appealed against with our assistance,” Ms. Malei said. 

Aleksandr Khurudzhi, who defends the rights of entrepreneurs during the application of pre-trial restrictions, recounted an egregious case when acts of law enforcement bodies led to permanent disability of an entrepreneur from Novorossiysk. Contrary to law and common sense, his detainment was performed when the man was being prepared for a surgery. Natalia Kostenko, a State Duma deputy, noted that when working with local entrepreneurs, she became confirmed that the problem lies in law enforcement practice rather than in law itself. “I have developed a draft bill that extends the list of the reasons to qualify a detainment as illegitimate. It often occurs that an officer detains a person on the basis of some minor offence, like breaking the traffic rules. Then in a remand prison, they start pressing on the detained person, and so the reason for detention changes,” she explained. Stanislav Babin, Deputy Chairman of the Council on development of civic society and human rights working under the aegis of the regional governor, was emotional, as usual. He said that it must be foreseen by law that in dubious cases no situation would arise when an entrepreneur’s complaint is reviewed by the same officer against whom that complaint was compiled. 

Ludmila Aleksandrova, The Yug Times’ lawyer, noted that “standard cases, if one may express them in that way, including those connected with contacts with the authorities, officials and even with prosecutors are solvable, though quite complicated. As for large business structures whose interests are connected with high-echelon politicians, the situation seems much more complicated. To resolve them, I as a lawyer have for a long while been using the following integrated approach: in addition to high-quality legal advice, I form public interest to the topic with the help of federal and regional media. It helps make the issue public.”

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