Following the AGM, we welcomed Barrie, Amnesty's Country Co-ordinator for Russia, who gave us a fascinating but extremely disturbing insight into the deteriorating state of human rights in this vast and labyrinthine conglomeration of countries.

Because Barrie's talk covered such an extensive area, both in terms of actual countries and individual human rights abuses, it seems that it would be most helpful to refer those of you who want to know more about this to visit some websites which Barrie recommended. He urged us to take up some of the urgent actions featured in these:

http://www.amnestyusa.org/russia/

http://www.hrdreport.fco.gov.uk/human-rights-in-countries-of-concern/russia/

http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/

http://www.awid.org/Get-Involved/Urgent-Actions3/Russian-Federation.-Journalist-Elena-Klimova-charged-under-propaganda-law

At our next meeting on March 13 2014, we shall welcome Sue Bingham, who will bring us up to date on Human Rights in Cuba.