Human Rights in Russia Week-ending 22 May 2020 - with Sergei Krivenko

This week Simon Cosgrove and Sergei Nikitin talk with Sergei Krivenko (pictured), coordinator of the Citizen and Army initiative, a member of the board of the International Memorial Society and a member of the Moscow Helsinki Group. Sergei has been one of the leading proponents for the introduction and development of Alternative Civilian Service for conscripts that has been introduced in post-Soviet Russia. His organisation also works to protect the rights of conscripts and improve their conditions of service. Sergei also served two terms as a member of the Presidential Council on Human Rights and Civil Society. In this wide-ranging discussion, he discusses the history of ACS in Russia, the problems that have been overcome and that still remain. He also compares the situation in Russia with other countries such as Germany and Finland, and considers the current state of Russia's on-going military reform. This podcast is in the Russian language. You can also hear these podcasts on Podcasts.com, Spotify and iTunes. The music is from Stravinsky's Elegy for Solo Viola, played here by Karolina Errera.