President Putin approves composition of human rights commission

President of Russia Vladimir Putin has approved in a decree the composition of the human rights commission under the head of state.

Former cabinet member Emma Pamfilova, who at present heads the Civil Dignity public movement, has been appointed chairperson of the commission.

The commission will consist of 30 persons. Among them are Lyudmila Alexeyeva, a well-known Russian human rights activist and chairperson of the Moscow Helsinki Group; Sofia Ganushkina, a leader of the Memorial human rights organization; Irina Kuklina, who represents the Union of Solders' Mothers committees of Russia; Tamara Morshchakova, councillor at the country's Constitutional Court, Alexei Simonov, president of the non-profit Foundation for the Protection of Glasnost, and well-known writers, actors, scientists and men in the arts.