20.10.2006 We are against slavery and manslaughter

Open letter to the President of Finland Mrs Tarja Halonen

Dear Mrs Halonen!

In connection with the visit of the President of Russia V.V. Putin to the Finnish Republic our organization turns to you with the request to influence on our president V.Putin and to convince him immediately to abolish obligatory army service, to make army open for civil control, to provide social and human right organizations with the right to freely monitor army’s activities , lives of soldiers in kasernes and to abolish exterritorial principle. We are very concerned with the question of massive manslaughter in the Russian army, high death rate: annually 3000 of soldiers die and 5000 desert the army. Apart from that, we still have this shameful compulsory national service. All this not only harshly defies democracy principles, but also promotes manslaughter in Russia. We also demand resignation of the Minister of Defense S. Ivanov. We are against slavery and manslaughter.

Karelian Branch of «Youth Human Right Group»