PW: Experts from Council
of Europe inspect human rights situation in Chechnya prior to referendum
February 28th 2003 · Prague Watchdog
Timur Aliyev, North Caucasus - On February 25, experts from the Council of Europe
met with representatives of the human rights center Memorial in Grozny. The meeting
was part of the monitoring that the Council is carrying out prior to the Chechen
constitutional referendum scheduled for March 23.
Eliza Musayeva, director of the human rights center's regional office, said the
experts were interested in Memorial´s stand on the draft constitution and
referendum, as well as any human rights changes in Chechnya following the December
explosion in the building of the Moscow-backed Chechen government in Grozny.
The Memorial staff told the experts that, given the current situation and existing
conditions in Chechnya, any referendum would be premature. “The situation
in Chechnya has become more tense and reports about human rights violations have
increased,” stated human rights activist Nataliya Yestemirova.
Doku Itslayev, director of the Urus-Martanovsky section of the Memorial, confirmed
this. According to him, in January there were eight people reported missing in
his region.
In Eliza Musayeva´s opinion, the referendum deprives Chechens of support
from the international community. “Up until now we’ve been able to
appeal to the Council of Europe and Parliamentary Assembly, and if this will be
taken away from us after the referendum takes place, it might be considered as
some sort of legal maneuver.” And Musayeva added, “The referendum
does not solve the issue of Maskhadov; conflicting sides will continue their actions
and people will die just as before.“
After the meeting, expert consultants Eva Konecna and Marina Trevisan said that
in connection with the monitoring the Council of Europe would have to decide whether
to send its observers to the referendum.