UCSJ: Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union, a
Washington-based human rights NGO founded in 1970, condemns the prosecution
of human rights activist Yuri Samodurov and art critic Andrey Erofeev in
Moscow. The latest hearing of their case began on May 29 before the
Tagansky district court. "We urge the court to exonerate the defendants,
whose trial is all too reminiscent of Soviet era intimidation of dissident
thought," declared today Micah H.
Naftalin, UCSJ's national director.

The Samodurov/Erofeev trial stems from a 2007 art exhibition they organized
entitled "Forbidden Art - 2006" at the Sakharov Center in Moscow. Under
pressure from some Russian Orthodox Church circles, they were accused by
prosecutors of inciting religious hatred (part 2 of the Article 282 of the
Russian Criminal Code), which carries a possible prison sentence.

"This charge is a clear abuse of a law intended to prevent the incitement of
inter-confessional violence, not crack down on controversial art work," said
Leonid Stonov, UCSJ's Director of International Bureaus. "As such, it should
be considered absolutely unacceptable in a country that respects the rule of
law, especially its own constitution's separation of church and state.
Putting these men on trial for an art exhibit violates the Russian
Constitution and Russia's international human rights obligations, and
undermines the prestige of Russia in international public opinion."

UCSJ asks that the court shows genuine independence in its decision on this
case, since the defendants broke no law in expressing controversial views
that in no way incite inter-confessional violence.

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