Amnesty: Human rights in Russia not improved under Medvedev

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Little has been done to improve human rights in Russia since President Dmitry Medvedev came to power a year ago, according to Amnesty International. In a statement released Thursday, the advocacy group said that in some areas the situation has deteriorated despite initial improvements. Amnesty said attacks against lawyers, journalists and opposition activists are on the rise. Prominent human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov and a journalist who had criticized the Kremlin were shot dead in January in the highest-profile attack of several that remain unsolved. Earlier this year, Medvedev revived a presidential human rights council, but Amnesty said he needs to do more to prove he is not just "paying lip service to reforms."