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Civil Rights and Freedoms in Russia
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Civil rights and liberties are recognized to be the highest value in Russia. They are guaranteed by universally adopted principles and rules of international law and under the Constitution. It is the state's duty to observe and protect them.
The basic rights and freedoms are inalienable and are acquired by each citizen at birth. A person and a citizen should not violate the rights of other people when he exercises his own rights and freedoms.A citizen of the Russian Federation can exercise his/her rights and obligations in full at the age of 18.
Civil rights and freedoms are standing and operative and are secured by justice.The Russian Constitution declares universal general equality before the court and the law.
The state guarantees the equality of rights and freedoms irrespective of sex, race, nationality, language, origin, property and official status, place of residence, attitude to religion, convictions, affiliation with public associations and other circumstances.
Citizen rights may not be restricted on social, racial, national, language or religious grounds. Under the Constitution, men and women have equal rights and civil liberties and opprotunities to exercise them.
The citizens of the Russian Federation have the right to participate in running state affairs both directly and via their representatives; to elect candidates and be elected to the state power and local self-government bodies; and to vote in a referendum. Citizens declared incapacitated by court or serving a prison sentence are deprived of the right to elect and be elected.
Anybody who legally stays in Russia has the right to move freely in its territory and to choose a place of sojourn and residence.
Anybody is free to leave the Russian Federation.
A Russian citizen has the right to return to the Russian Federation without obstruction.
The Russian Federation guarntees protection and patronage to its citizens beyond its boundaries.
A Russian citizen can have a foreign citizenship (dual citizenship) in compliance with the federal law or an international treaty of the Russian Federation.
The Russian Federation grants political asylum to foreign citizens and stateless persons in compliance with the recognized rules of international law.
The citizens of Russia have the right to voluntarily define and declare their nationality. They are free to speak their native language and to choose a language for communication, instruction and creative work. No one can be forced to define his/her nationality.
Each citizen is guaranteed the freedom of conscience and faith, including the right to confess or not to confess a religion, individually or jointly with other believers, as well as to choose, to hold and to spread religious and other convictions and to act in compliance with them.
Freedom of thought and speech is guaranteed. At the same time, Russian laws forbid propaganda and agitation formenting social, racial, national or religious hatred and hostility. The propaganda of social, racial, national religious or language supremacy is forbidden.
Mass information freedom is guaranteed. Censorship is forbidden.
Each citizen has the right to search for, obtain, transmit, produce and spread information in any legal way. A list of data classified as state secrets is defined by the federal law.
Everybody has the right to form associations, including professional unions to protect their interests. Public associations are guaranteed freedom of action. The citizens of Russia have the right to assemble peacefully, wihtout weapons, to hold meetings, rallies, demonstrations, marches and pickets.
Russia guarantees common economic space, free movement of goods, services and financial instruments, supports competition and free economic activities. Private, state , municipal and other forms of property are equally recognized and protected.
The right of private ownership is safeguarded by law. Each citizen has the right to have property as well as to possess, use and dispose of it individually or jointly with other persons. No one may be deprived of his property except by court. The state can confiscate property for its needs only for prior compensation of equal worth. The right of inheritance is also guaranteed.
Citizens and their associations have the right to private land ownership. The proprietors are free to possess, to use and to dispose of land and other natural resources if it does not damage the environment and does not violate the rights and legitimate interests of other persons. The terms and procedure of land use are defined by the federal law.
The state protects the dignity and life of the individual. Pending total abolition of the death penalty, the federal law can introduce it as an exceptional measure of punishment for particularly grave crimes against life. Defendants facing capital punishment have the right to a trial by jury.
No one should be subjected to torture, violence or other cruel and humiliating treatment or punishment.
Everybody has the right to freedom and inviolability. A person can be arrested, confined to and held in custody only by court decision. Without a court ruling, a person may not be detained longer than for 48 hours.
The Constitution guarantees personal privacy as well as the right to keept personal and family secrets and to protect one's honor and good name. The Constitution stipulates the privacy of correspondence, telephone conversations, mail, telegraph and other messages. This right can be restricted only by court decision. It is forbidden to collect, store, use or spread information about a person's private life without his/her knowledge.
A defendant accused of committing a crime should be considered innocent until his guilt is proven in the manner prescribed by the federal law and takes legal force by court ruling.The defendant is not obliged to prove his innocence. The accused should enjoy the benefit of the doubt. Proof of guilt may not be obtained through violation of the federal law. No one is obliged to testify against him/her own self, his/her spouse or close relatives, whose circle is defined by the federal law. The law provides for other cases when witnesses can be relieved of their duty to give evidence.
No one can be subjected to medical, scientific and other experiments without his/her voluntary consent.
Each person hs the right to defend his rights and freedoms by all legal means and to turn for help to inter-state bodies for the protection of rights and freedoms in compliance with international treaties of the Russian Federation if all internal means of legal protection have been exhausted.
Each citizen has the right to be compensated for the damage caused by illegal actions (or by inaction) of state government bodies or their officials.
The Russian Federation safeguards labor and health, establishes a guaranteed size of minimal wages, ensures state support to family, childhood, motherhood and fatherhood, invalids and old people, develops a social service system and establishes state pensions, allowances and other social guarantees.
Each person has the right to freely apply his talents and use property in business and other legal economic acitivities. Economic activities aimed at monopolization or unfair competition are forbidden.
Labor is free. Each person has the right to make use of his abilities to work, to choose the type of activities and profession. Forced labor is forbidden,
Everybody has the right to work in conditions meeting safety and hygienic standards, to remuneration without discrimination, the size of which is not below the minimal wages establihed by the federal law. Each person also has the right to be protected against unemployment.
Individual and collective labor disputes should be settled by means established by the federal law, including the right to strike.
Every person has the right to leisure. The working hours, days off, holidays and a paid annual vacation are guaranteed to all employees working under labor contracts in complaince with the federal law of the Russian Federation.
Each Russian citizen is guaranteed social security in old age, in case of illness, disablement, the loss of bread-winner as well as for bringing up children and in other cases stipulated by the federal law. Voluntary social insurance, the creation of additional forms of social security and charitable activities are encouraged.
The home is inviolable. No one has the right to penetrate into a home against tenants' will except in cases established by the federal law or on the basis of a court decision. No one can be arbitrarily deprived of his dwelling. State, municipal and other types of housing are provided to low-income and other categories of needy citizens either for free or for a reasonable pay in accordance with standards prescribed by law.
Each has the right to health protection and medical care.
Medical aid at state or municipal public health institutions is rendered to citizens free of charge from corresponding budget funds, insurance premiums or other revenues.
Each person has the right to education. Pre-school education, general secondary and secondary professional education at state and municipal educational establishments and at enterprises. General secondary education is mandatory. Parents or persons replacing them should create conditions for children to acquire a general education.
Everybody has the right to acquire free higher education at a state or municipal educational establishment or at an enterprise on a competitive basis.
Each person is guaranteed freedom of literary, artistic, scientific and other types of creative activities and teaching. Intellectual property is protected by law.
Human rights and civil liberties can be restircted by the federal law to the extent required to protect constitutional order, morality, health, the rights and lawful interests of other citizens as well as to ensure the country's defense and state security.
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