Karinna Moskalenko
Encyclopedia
Karinna Akopovna Moskalenko (born February 9, 1954 in Baku
, Azerbaijan SSR
, USSR), is Russia
’s leading human rights lawyer
, defending, amongst others, Mikhail Khodorkovsky
, Garry Kasparov
and Alexander Litvinenko
. She won the first ever case against Russian Federation heard in public hearings of the European Court of Human Rights
.
in the UK (graduated in 1994). She and her team at Moscow’s International Protection Centre have won 27 cases against the Russian government at the European Court of Human Rights
in Strasbourg and have more than 100 applications pending.
Russian Prosecutor-General initiated a case to disbar Moskalenko on the grounds of having negligently defended Mikhail Khodorkovsky
, the former owner of Yukos
. However, Moscow Collegium of advocates, which rules on such cases, decided the case to be politically motivated and allowed her to continue the practice Khodorkovsky himself has made no complaint and has declared himself “fully satisfied” with Moskalenko’s work.
Moskalenko is also on the International Advisory Board of the Media Legal Defence Initiative
, a UK-based charity that provides legal aid and assistance to journalists and news media organizations around the world, supports training in media law and promotes the exchange of information, litigation tools and strategies for lawyers working on media freedom cases.
In 2010, she was the fifteenth prize-winner of Ludovic-Trarieux International Human Rights Prize
("The award given by lawyers to a lawyer"), reserved each year to a lawyer who thoroughout his or her career has illustrated, by activity or suffering, the defence of human rights in the world.
Toxicologists identified the metal as poisonous mercury
, which Moskalenko claimed was an apparent effort to poison her family and prevent her from appearing in court in Moscow. She said she became sick two days before she was scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing in Moscow on the murder of journalist and Kremlin critic Anna Politkovskaya
.
On 22 October 2008, it was reported that French police investigating the case managed to find the previous owner, who gave a statement that he broke a mercury
barometer
in the car shortly before selling it to Moskalenko. Peter Lavelle
, a journalist for Russia Today
stated that Moskalenko admits she had not cleaned the car since she bought it from the antiques dealer in August 2008. The revelation came ten days after the initial report, which saw Kremlin critics and some media outlets, including the Committee to Protect Journalists
, Lev Ponomaryov
, the Washington Post, and the The Globe and Mail
, accusing Russian security services, and Vladimir Putin
himself, of orchestrating the poisoning in an attempt to intimidate or eliminate the vocal critic of the Kremlin
.
and Marina Kalashnikova
- journalists who claim to have been poisoned with mercury by the Russian authorities
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
, Azerbaijan SSR
Azerbaijan SSR
The Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Azerbaijan SSR for short, was one of the republics that made up the former Soviet Union....
, USSR), is Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
’s leading human rights lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, defending, amongst others, Mikhail Khodorkovsky
Mikhail Khodorkovsky
Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky is a Russian prisoner, considered by some - such as Amnesty International - to have been imprisoned for political reasons, jailed until 2016 and a former Russian oligarch and businessman...
, Garry Kasparov
Garry Kasparov
Garry Kimovich Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist, and one of the greatest chess players of all time....
and Alexander Litvinenko
Alexander Litvinenko
Alexander Valterovich Litvinenko was an officer who served in the Soviet KGB and its Russian successor, the Federal Security Service ....
. She won the first ever case against Russian Federation heard in public hearings of the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
.
Human rights advocate
Moskalenko studied law at Leningrad State University (graduated in 1976) and later specialized in Human Rights at the University of BirminghamUniversity of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
in the UK (graduated in 1994). She and her team at Moscow’s International Protection Centre have won 27 cases against the Russian government at the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
in Strasbourg and have more than 100 applications pending.
Russian Prosecutor-General initiated a case to disbar Moskalenko on the grounds of having negligently defended Mikhail Khodorkovsky
Mikhail Khodorkovsky
Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky is a Russian prisoner, considered by some - such as Amnesty International - to have been imprisoned for political reasons, jailed until 2016 and a former Russian oligarch and businessman...
, the former owner of Yukos
YUKOS
OJSC "Yukos Oil Company" was a petroleum company in Russia which, until 2003, was controlled by Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky and a number of other prominent Russian businessmen. After Yukos was bankrupted, Khodorkovsky was convicted and sent to prison.Yukos headquarters was located in...
. However, Moscow Collegium of advocates, which rules on such cases, decided the case to be politically motivated and allowed her to continue the practice Khodorkovsky himself has made no complaint and has declared himself “fully satisfied” with Moskalenko’s work.
Moskalenko is also on the International Advisory Board of the Media Legal Defence Initiative
Media Legal Defence Initiative
The Media Legal Defence Initiative is a non-governmental organization established in 2008 to provide legal assistance to journalists and news media organizations, support training in media law and promote the exchange of information, litigation tools and strategies for lawyers working on media...
, a UK-based charity that provides legal aid and assistance to journalists and news media organizations around the world, supports training in media law and promotes the exchange of information, litigation tools and strategies for lawyers working on media freedom cases.
In 2010, she was the fifteenth prize-winner of Ludovic-Trarieux International Human Rights Prize
Ludovic-Trarieux International Human Rights Prize
The Ludovic-Trarieux International Human Rights Prize, or Ludovic-Trarieux Award, is an international human rights award given annually to a lawyer for contributions to the defence of human rights.-History:...
("The award given by lawyers to a lawyer"), reserved each year to a lawyer who thoroughout his or her career has illustrated, by activity or suffering, the defence of human rights in the world.
Poisoning by mercury
On 14 October 2008, her husband had discovered “about 10 little pellets of liquid metal” in their car, "on the floor of both the driver and the passenger sides of the vehicle".Toxicologists identified the metal as poisonous mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
, which Moskalenko claimed was an apparent effort to poison her family and prevent her from appearing in court in Moscow. She said she became sick two days before she was scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing in Moscow on the murder of journalist and Kremlin critic Anna Politkovskaya
Anna Politkovskaya
Anna Stepanovna Politkovskaya was a Russian journalist, author, and human rights activist known for her opposition to the Chechen conflict and then-President of Russia Vladimir Putin...
.
On 22 October 2008, it was reported that French police investigating the case managed to find the previous owner, who gave a statement that he broke a mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
barometer
Barometer
A barometer is a scientific instrument used in meteorology to measure atmospheric pressure. Pressure tendency can forecast short term changes in the weather...
in the car shortly before selling it to Moskalenko. Peter Lavelle
Peter Lavelle
Peter J. Lavelle is host of CrossTalk, a television program of the Russia-based, publicly-funded English language satellite channel RT. Lavelle, from California and now based in Moscow, is the network's key political commentator....
, a journalist for Russia Today
Russia Today
Russia Today may refer to:* Russia Today, an English language 24-hour television news channel from Russia. It was launched in 2005 and is not related to an online news service of the similar name operated by EIN News...
stated that Moskalenko admits she had not cleaned the car since she bought it from the antiques dealer in August 2008. The revelation came ten days after the initial report, which saw Kremlin critics and some media outlets, including the Committee to Protect Journalists
Committee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent nonprofit organisation based in New York City that promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists.-History:A group of U.S...
, Lev Ponomaryov
Lev Ponomaryov
Lev Alexandrovich Ponomaryov is a Russian politician and human rights activist, member of the Moscow Helsinki Group and former member of the parliament...
, the Washington Post, and the The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
, accusing Russian security services, and Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
himself, of orchestrating the poisoning in an attempt to intimidate or eliminate the vocal critic of the Kremlin
Government of Russia
The Government of the Russian Federation exercises executive power in the Russian Federation. The members of the government are the prime minister , the deputy prime ministers, and the federal ministers...
.
See also
Viktor KalashnikovViktor Kalashnikov
Viktor Kalashnikov is a Russian freelance journalist and a former KGB colonel. In the autumn of 2010, he and his wife were treated in hospital in Germany for mercury poisoning in what they said had been an attempt on their lives by Russia's FSB, the successor to the KGB...
and Marina Kalashnikova
Marina Kalashnikova
Marina Kalashnikova is a Russian historian and freelance journalist. In 2010 she and her ex-KGB agent husband were treated in hospital in Germany for mercury poisoning in what they have said was an attempt on their life by Russia's FSB, the successor to the KGB...
- journalists who claim to have been poisoned with mercury by the Russian authorities