High Commissioner of Council
of Europe on Human Rights testifies to aggravation of situation in Chechnya.
Alvaro Hill-Robles has just returned from Ingushetia and Chechnya. He tells he
has had meetings with the representatives of federal forces and officials of pro-Moscow
administration of the republic, with the employees of non- governmental human
rights and humanitarian organizations and the residents of Chechnya as well as
the refugees living in Ingushetia.
Judging by all these meetings, as well as taking into consideration the information
obtained from a number of sources, the High Commissioner of the Council of Europe
on Human Rights came to the conclusion that situation with regard to observance
of human rights in Chechnya, especially following the events of Moscow Theatre
Centre, has significantly worsened. Mr.Robles tells of multiple cases of disappearance
of the civilians in Chechnya, murders of the residents of the republic committed
by the representatives of federal forces, and humiliation and reprisals on the
part of Russian servicemen. According to Mr. Robles, the last three years in Chechnya
are "the years of terrible violence", that are still in progress and there are
no signs of its lessening.
Mr.Robles makes it clear that the authorities of Russia and pro-Moscow administration
of Chechnya take no notice of the recommendations of the European legal institutions
and their representatives. Hill-Robles reminds that all his recommendations of
last years to the Russian authorities, in particular, to stop the violence and
punish the military criminals in Chechnya, have been left unrealized by the Kremlin.
Mr.Robles insists on termination of the Chechen war and beginning peace negotiations
between the Chechen groupings, irrespective to their political orientation, and
Moscow. The High Commissioner of the Council of Europe on Human Rights also makes
it clear, and is skeptical to the idea of the Chechen referendum under the condition
of war and infinite total violence upon the civilians of the republic. "I can
consider this kind of referendum as one of the versions of the way leading to
political resolution to the Chechen conflict, as, from the point of view of common
sense, there is no hope that immediately after the referendum life will become
normal in Chechnya"- notes he.
Mr.Robles is of the opinion that if the referendum is held, not only the present
residents of the republic but also the Chechen refugees should take part in it.
According to him, Akhmad Kadyrov promised him to do all in his power. As mentioned
above, however, Hill-Robles has already assessed the level of readiness and that
of the responsibility of the Russian and pro-Moscow Chechen authorities to keeping
their promises. Mr. Hill-Robles evaded the question with regard to the readiness
of the
Council of Europe to send its observers to attend the referendum, in order to
let Moscow give the referendum a semblance of legitimacy. Mr.Robles noted that
a special group of experts will arrive in Moscow next week to discuss the question
with the official Russian representatives. In the meantime, many independent observers
are of the opinion that in case the referendum is carried out justly with the
participation of the Chechen refugees, Kadyrov and other officials like him of
Moscow-backed administration will lose, and the majority of votes will be given
to the legitimate and acting President of Ichkeria Aslan Maskhadov.