A/HRC/11/37 of expression and peaceful assembly. Peaceful events to promote respect for such people had been banned and people subjected to arrests and violence. It urged the Government to ensure the holding of such events with adequate police protection. Noting a rise in hate crimes, it said that discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity should be prohibited, that such bias should be an aggravating factor, and that perpetrators should be vigorously prosecuted and punished. Noting Russia’s indication that training was provided to prison guards and law enforcement officials on the needs of minorities, including on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, it sought elaboration and clarification. 332. Human Rights Watch noted the many concerns about the hostile and deteriorating environment for civil society and the restrictive 2006 law on non-governmental organizations, providing for excessive Government interference and unreasonable bureaucratic requirements. It had hoped that Russia would commit to specific steps to ensure civil society operation without undue Government interference, particularly since President Medvedev had initiated a process to review the law. It urged the Government to revise the law substantially and to condemn attacks on human rights defenders and journalists, ensuring that such crimes were investigated and prosecuted. Ongoing abuses in Chechnya and the broader North Caucasus and persisting impunity were other areas of concern. Russia was urged by its peers to establish meaningful accountability mechanisms and to implement fully the more than 100 rulings of the European Court finding it responsible for serious violations in Chechnya, and to ratify Protocol No. 14 to the European Convention. It regretted that the concerns had been ignored. Russia’s failure to grant access to special procedures, particularly on torture, was also raised. Noting that 10 special procedures had pending requests to visit Russia, it regretted Russia’s decision not to issue invitations and agree on dates. 333. The International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs highlighted the situation of 40 ethnic groups in the North, Siberia and the Far East of Russia, which traditionally use and inhabit about two thirds of Russia’s land mass, where most natural resources such as oil, gas, timber, gold and diamonds, are extracted. It noted the concern of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination about their situation and its recommendations that Russia seek their consent and give primary consideration to their special needs prior to granting licences to private companies, and to ensure their priority rights to territories of traditional nature use and to natural resources. The Committee had urged Russia to withdraw support for the Evenkiiskaya dam, which would displace thousands of indigenous Evenks, and from other similar large-scale projects. Welcoming the announcement of a national plan to implement the recommendations and that a first interim report would be presented by end of year, the Work Group hoped that the plan would address the abovementioned concerns, noting, however, that the indigenous umbrella organization, RAIPON, had no information on the existence of such a plan. The Work Group sought clarification on the status and timeline of the document, its title and availability. It urged actively consultation with and participation of indigenous organizations in the implementation process. 334. The International Commission of Jurists regretted Russia’s last-minute responses to the recommendations, but called for their prompt and effective implementation. It urged effective investigation, accountability and redress for human rights violations, including acts of torture, ill-treatment, secret and other arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances in the North Caucasus. The lack of effective investigation of the law enforcement response to the Dubrovka theatre siege and the attack on Beslan School No. 1 should be urgently addressed. It expressed serious concern at the harassment of lawyers, journalists and other human rights defenders, and particularly at the murder, in January 2009, of Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova. These should be promptly and effectively investigated. It also cited threats and attacks against applicants to the European GE.09-16766 109