The Government and Human Rights Groups in Russia: Civilized Oppression?

In Russia in the 2000s, relations between the government and human rights groups presented contrasts. This article uses the example of the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG) to illustrate the ambivalence in the state's policy towards civil society. On one hand, there is obvious official repression of human rights activists, whether by stigmatizing their relations with foreign partners or prohibiting their political activism. MHG activists are regularly victims of this repression. On the other hand, the authorities have initiated and institutionalized cooperation with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). For example, a programme of presidential grants has been set up for both NGOs close to the government and independent ones, such as MHG. This dual policy towards Russian NGOs is often seen as reflecting the hybrid nature of the regime. I argue that this hybridity has led to a decline in direct physical violence against activists and an increasing use of administrative and legal procedures for controlling them. NGOs' action is becoming 'juridified' and depoliticized in order to facilitate control from the authorities. These changes are contributing to the 'civility of oppression' exerted by the government over NGOs