Gannushkina: Medvedev is pleased that human rights activists in the North Caucasus has not gone underground

At the meeting with human rights activists, President Dmitry Medvedev was convinced that the human rights movement in the North Caucasus exists, Svetlana Gannushkina, chairman of the Civic assistance committee, board member and head of Migration and Law network of Human Rights Centre "Memorial", a member of Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"Medvedev said he has proved that the human rights movement in the North Caucasus exists, advancing and functioning, and has not gone underground", Gannushkina noted adding, "Thereby the president expressed his understanding that on the whole, there might have been such possibility - to go underground" because the human rights situation is tight in the region.

According to Svetlana Gannushkina, though the meeting with the President took place, not all the participants managed to take a floor, because many speakers did not stick to the time limit, and "some of them were considerably out of order." Moreover, in the human rights activist's words, the meeting, which was scheduled for 2,5 hours, was lasting for less because Medvedev arrived late.

As Gannushkina noted, "It's already good per se that the president understands the seriousness of problems" that the North Caucasus faces in terms of rights, economy, corruption and so forth. In solution of these problems, according to Gannushkina, the president sets hopes on his new representative in the NCFD Alexander Khloponin.

Medvedev said that the concentration of pain in all the speeches was very high, however he expressed satisfaction with the positive suggestions that he supported", Svetlana Gannushkina told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.