RUSSIA/DRUGS: GATHERING OF PARLIAMENTARIANS' SIGNATURES UNDER INQUIRY TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT ON THE NEW FEDERAL ANTI-DRUG LAW HAS BEEN LAUNCHED ON THE INITIATIVE OF THE RADICAL PARTY

Moscow, May 26, 1998. Campaign to collect signatures of the State Duma members under the formal inquiry to the Constitutional Court regarding a number of norms in the new Federal Law "On Narcotic Drugs And Psychotropic Substances" has been started. This is on the initiative of the Transnational Radical Party (a NGO registered by the UN, Consultative Status, Category 1).

Inquiry provides to prove following norms of the law: modality of assertion and amending the List of controlled substances; modality of taking decision to ban cultivation of certain plants; banning the use of narcotic drugs by private physicians; possibility to dispatch a person for forced medical examination without the court's decision but simply by a prosecutor, criminal investigator or police officer; banning the cure of drug addicts in non-governmental health care institutions.

The inquiry has been completed by Lev LEVINSON, Radical activist and secretary of the Human Rights Chamber by the President of Russian Federation. The initiative already obtained support from "Jabloko" faction, which has taken the respective decision at their meeting on May 18.

First signatories under the inquiry: Valerij BORSCEV (Jabloko), Galina STAROVOJTOVA (independent), Sergej MITROHIN (Jabloko), Igor LUKASHEV (Jabloko), Viktor KUROCHKIN (Russian Regions), Arkadij JANKOVSKIJ (Russian Regions), Vladimir BUTKEEV (Russian Regions), Boris MOISEEV (Jabloko), Sergej KOVALEV (independent), Gennadij BURBULIS (independent). There is also a preliminary agreement about support to this initiative with the Liberal Democratic Party's faction of Wladimir Zhirinovskij. To have the inquiry presented it is necessary to obtain support from at least 90 members of the 450-seats State Duma.

There are in preparation also other antiprohibitionist initiatives of the Radical Party in Russian Parliament: presenting amendments to the Criminal Code which would eliminate imprisonment for purchase, possession and transportation of drugs for personal use, as well as presenting amendments to the Federal Law "On Narcotic Drugs And Psychotropic Substances" in the antiprohibitionist way or - at least - in the framework of the pragmatic policy of "harm reduction".

From June 5 to 10 Transnational Radical Party will participate in the Global Days Against Drug War, organized by the Global Coalition For The Alternatives to The Drug War. The actions to be undertaken in Moscow (news conferences, manifestations, direct nonviolent acts of civil disobedience) will be reported additionally.

Further information:

tel. +7-095-9239127

tel. +7-095-2923281 (Lev Levinson)

http://www.radicalparty.org