Juridical Professionalization of a Human Rights NGO:a Case Study of ‘The Committee Against Torture’

Abstract

Elena Maslovskaya — Doctor of Sociology, Senior Researcher, Sociological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences. Address: 25/14, 7th Krasnoarmeiskaya St., Saint Petersburg, 190005, Russian Federation. E-mail: ev_maslovskaya@mail.ru

This article considers the process of the juridical professionalization of the human rights organization ‘The Committee against Torture’, on the basis of Bourdieu’s theory of the juridical field and its contemporary interpretations. It is argued that organizational models used by human rights activists reflect the configuration and the dynamics of power relations both within and outside the juridical field in today’s Russia. The juridical professionalization of a human rights organization is regarded as structured by unequal access to material and symbolic resources, and dependent on continuous attempts to stigmatize its activities. The findings confirm the trend towards the formation of an alternative form of professionalization of human rights organizations which changes the common juridical habitus. It is shown that the asymmetry of the power relationships forces human rights activists to develop specific solutions for counteracting incidences of illegal violence in law enforcement organizations. The article also analyses the peculiarities of the interaction between human rights activists, victims and investigating authorities in cases of public investigation of illegal violence. Specific forms of juridical activity and tactics used by human rights activists in Russian and international courts are also discussed. However, the findings demonstrate that the current models of professional conduct within law enforcement agencies can be influenced only selectively and mostly at the local level. This is explained by the relatively small number of human rights organizations in Russia’s regions, their specialized character and the difficulties of combining juridical professionalization and the mobilization of public participation. It is concluded that even modest achievements require constant and active work on the part of human rights organizations in Russia.