5. Citizen Appeals
Operation of the Call Center for the Direct Line of the President of the Russian Federation V. V. Putin. December 13, 2023. Sergey Savostyanov / TASS
The Constitution of the Russian Federation guarantees the right of citizens to address governmental and local governance bodies personally, as well as to send individual and collective appeals. This right includes the ability to make requests, complaints, or proposals not only to any government body but also to any official, up to the President of Russia.
The importance of this feedback mechanism cannot be overstated, as it directly influences the quality of governance and the level of trust citizens have in governmental bodies, fostering the establishment of an open and transparent dialog between state structures and society.
For the Civic Chamber of Russia, working with citizen appeals is a crucial tool for direct interaction with civil society. Detailed examination and comprehensive analysis of these appeals allow for assessing the effectiveness of state and public institutions, identifying problematic issues in public relations, and finding the most effective mechanisms for resolving them.
Review of citizen appeals to the Civic Chamber in 2024
The Civic Chamber of Russia conducts daily analyses and promptly addresses appeals that contain socially significant initiatives and issues affecting the interests of a wide range of people, as well as issues of civic unity.
The questions, problems, and proposals from citizens and organizations presented in these appeals not only serve as informational occasions for clarifying legislation on Civic Chamber platforms but also, after thorough review and discussion, become legislative initiatives and grounds for public oversight activities, and inspections by law enforcement and regulatory authorities.
Special attention is given to appeals concerning issues with significant public resonance, as well as collective complaints and grievances submitted by socially vulnerable groups, such as families with many children, veterans, persons with disabilities, minors, and low-income citizens whose rights and freedoms have been violated and not restored by contacting local authorities and institutions.
When reviewing such appeals, the Civic Chamber adheres to the principle of providing targeted assistance to citizens and aims for an objective and definitive resolution of each appeal. This is achieved through legal consultation with the applicant, sending inquiries to authorized agencies, involving socially-oriented nonprofit organizations that provide free qualified legal assistance, and, if necessary, organizing on-site visits by members of the Civic Chamber.
In its work with appeals from citizens and organizations, the Civic Chamber utilizes and develops a communication platform that engages and involves various institutions, including regional ombudsmen in key areas, public chambers of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, public councils at federal and regional executive authorities, prosecutor’s offices, and other federal and regional oversight bodies, professional legal communities, and public organizations in the field of promoting the protection of civil rights, including trade unions.
In addition to the familiar tools for handling citizen appeals, such as hotlines and direct lines, conducting surveys, and receiving submissions through the electronic reception office on the Civic Chamber’s website, new tools are being employed. For example, Telegram chats are now used to involve both applicants and representatives of public organizations and government bodies, significantly enhancing the responsiveness and effectiveness in solving citizens’ problems.
Сitizen appeals offices at “Community” forums
In 2024, citizen appeals offices were launched at the “Community” forums of the Civic Chamber of Russia, becoming new venues for addressing the most pressing issues of citizens. These citizen appeals offices operated in Irkutsk, Kaluga, and Magas. Members of the Civic Chamber of Russia, staff from the Department for Working with Citizens’ Appeals of the Civic Chamber, employees from the offices handling citizens’ appeals in the administrations of higher officials of the Russian Federation’s regions, consulting lawyers from the Association of Lawyers of Russia, as well as a volunteer corps of lawyers consisting of senior law students and practicing lawyers participating as volunteers, were actively involved in the work of these citizen appeals offices.
Opening of the citizens appeals offices at the “Community” Forum, Irkutsk, May 30, 2024. Press Service of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation
All visitors to the citizen appeals offices could file and submit appeals directly to the Civic Chamber of Russia, receive general advice on the procedures for submitting appeals to other authorized agencies, get free legal consultations, and in some cases, receive on-the-spot assistance if the issue could be resolved quickly. During the operation of the citizen appeals offices, members of the Civic Chamber of Russia traveled with representatives of local administrations to the locations for prompt review of appeals, examined the situations, and proposed solutions to the issues raised by applicants.
A notable example of this work involved a resident of Kaluga addressing the “Community” forum’s citizen appeals offices with two issues. The first issue concerned a playground situated above thermal networks, which the applicant believed posed a potential threat to children in the event of an accident. The second problem highlighted by the applicant involved unauthorized parking, in his view, on the city’s central square, causing hazardous situations and detracting from its appearance.
Representatives of the Civic Chamber of Russia’s Commission on Demography, Family, Children, and Traditional Family Values Protection promptly organized a site visit to the playground location and, alongside city administration representatives, conducted an inspection. The inspection revealed that the networks passed through secure reinforced concrete channels, posing no threat to children. Additionally, parking areas were inspected with the assistance of traffic police staff and city officials. The issue of unauthorized parking was attributed to the absence of appropriate traffic signs, which was swiftly remedied.