Recommendations of Commissioner
for Human Rights Must Be Implemented
AI Index: EUR 46/016/2003
Publish date: 11 February 2003
On the eve of the visit to Chechnya of the Council of Europe's Commissioner for
Human Rights, Alvaro Gil-Robles, Amnesty International expressed serious concern
about continuing human rights abuses in the republic and the failure to bring
to justice those responsible. The organization urged the Russian authorities to
implement the Commissioner's recommendations.
"The human rights situation in Chechnya remains deplorable," Amnesty International
said.
"Federal forces commit grave human rights violations against the civilian population
and are only rarely held to account."
During raids by Russian troops on villages, hundreds of Chechen civilians have
'disappeared' and many have later been found in mass graves. While such operations
now seem to be targeting individuals rather than whole villages, the violations
continue. Chechen fighters also commit serious human rights abuses, especially
against members of the pro-Moscow administration.
Two measures by the authorities, Decree no. 46 of the Prosecutor General and Order
no. 80 of the Commander of the federal forces in Chechnya, were introduced in
2001 and 2002 to provide greater transparency and protection for civilians during
raids. However, they are routinely ignored and Chechen civilians appear to be
as unprotected as ever.
In his recommendation of May 2002, the Commissioner for Human Rights expressed
concern that neither of these regulations had 'been adequately complied with'
and recommended that the authorities take all necessary steps to ensure that they
were 'effectively applied and that any breaches thereof be severely sanctioned'.
Amnesty International urged the Russian authorities to ensure the implementation
of this recommendation.
Mr Gil-Robles also expressed concern that civilians who are detained by Russian
forces are deprived of their constitutional rights. They are held at military
bases to which civilian prosecutors have no access, but military prosecutors have
no jurisdiction in such cases.
"This legal limbo further endangers the lives of Chechen detainees," Amnesty International
stated.
The Commissioner recommended that the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation
ensure that civilians enjoy the constitutional rights guaranteed in the event
of their arrest and detention by soldiers. Amnesty International finds it extremely
regrettable that this recommendation has also been ignored by the authorities.
Welcoming the Commissioner's visit to Chechnya, Amnesty International urged the
Russian authorities to grant access to other international observers, including
the UN Special Rapporteurs on Torture, Extrajudicial Executions and Violence against
Women and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Internally
Displaced Persons, to visit the republic. It also calls upon the Russian government
to publish all reports prepared by the European Committee for the Prevention of
Torture following its visits to the Russian Federation, including Chechnya. Russia
remains the only member of the Council of Europe not to have done so.
Source: Amnesty International, International Secretariat, 1 Easton
Street, WC1X 8DJ, London, United Kingdom