AcknowledgementsThis report was researched by Branka Sesto and Giorgi Gogia, consultants to Human Rights Watch. It was written by Jane Buchanan, researcher in the Europe and Central Asia Division of Human Rights Watch. Mihra Rittman, associate in the Europe and Central Asia Division, conducted additional interviews and research for the background sections. Sonya Kleshik, Kathryn Koonce, and Eugene Sokoloff, associates in the Europe and Central Asia Division, and Diana Galperin, Anna Kalashyan, and Marina Loginova, interns in the Europe and Central Asia Division, helped research the background. Diana Galperin wrote significant parts of the background sections. The report was edited by Rachel Denber, deputy director of the Europe and Central Asia Division and by Iain Levine, director of the program office of Human Rights Watch. Bill Frelick, Refugee Policy Program director at Human Rights Watch, Allison Gill, director of the Russia Office of Human Rights Watch, and Svetlana Gannushkina, director of the Russian non-governmental organization, Grazhdanskoe Sodestvie, read the report and provided comments. Veronika Szente Goldston, Europe and Central Asia Division advocacy director, read and provided comments on the summary and recommendations. Aisling Ready, Senior Legal Advisor at Human Rights Watch, conducted the legal review. The report was translated into Russian by Igor Gerbich. Production assistance was provided by Anna Lopriore, Andrea Holley, Grace Choi, and Fitzroy Hepkins. Human Rights Watch thanks all of the individuals who agreed to be interviewed for this report. Their willingness to share their experiences with us made this report possible. We also thank Svetlana Gannushkina and other staff members at Grazhdanskoe Sodestvie for their generous and timely assistance at various stages of the report research and writing. Human Rights Watch gratefully acknowledges the C.S. Mott Foundation for its generous support for our work. |