EuropaWorld 26/1/2001 2001: Council of Europe Urged to Take Strong Stand Against Russia

A grotesque litany of human rights violations including torture and "disappearances," committed against resident Chechens by Russian authorities was released yesterday by the international campaign group Human Rights Watch, (HRW), in a memorandum to the Council of Europe.

In condemnation of the violations in Chechnya, the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly suspended the voting rights of the Russian delegation at its April session last year, calling on Russia to make serious investigations into the allegations of abuse. The Assembly, made up of parliamentarians from the 41 member countries, will be in session again this spring. The HRW memorandum calls on the Assembly to refrain from restoring the voting rights of the Russian delegation claiming that Russia's conduct in Chechnya has not improved, with acts of arbitrary detention, extortion and torture still being committed with impunity.

"No one should be fooled by Russian claims that the situation in Chechnya is 'normal,'" explained Holly Cartner, executive director of Human Rights Watch's Europe and Central Asia division. "Every minute of the day, people in Chechnya live in fear of being arrested and tortured. There's nothing normal about that."

The eight-page memorandum is based on almost one hundred interviews with Chechnya residents, who have witnessed or endured human rights violations in the past six months. Many had been detained by Russian forces in sweep operations or at checkpoints for not having the right residence permit. HRW claim that detainees are routinely tortured through severe beatings and electric shock, frequently whilst being held in makeshift facilities such as pits in the ground or oil tanks. Extortion of the relatives of detainees for bribes, in exchange for the release of loved ones, is also reported.

Far from restoring voting rights, the campaign group has instead called for the suspension of Russia from the Council of Europe. It also calls upon the Council's member states to claim against Russia in the European Court of Human Rights. The Russian Federation became subject to the jurisdiction of the Court when it signed the European Convention on Human Rights, after it joined the Council of Europe in 1996.