Human rights violations in Chechnya.

WRITTEN QUESTION

Submission: to the Commission and the Council.

05 February 2003

Subject: Violation of Human Rights in Chechnya.

In view of the Council of Europe resolution on Chechnya, three international organizations, through a joint statement, call on the Council of Europe to address the following issues:

a) The lack of accountability and the failure to bring to justice those responsible for acts of violence against civilians by both sides, b) The turning of civilians into targets by both opposing parties, in violation of international humanitarian law, c) The Russian government’s suspension of the OSCE Assistance Group in Chechnya on December 31, 2002, and the ongoing refusal to publish the reports of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture on the situation in the Russian Federation.

The Committee is asked whether it agrees with the above findings and what measures it intends to take to safeguard human rights in the region, particularly regarding the lifting of the ban on access for international observers to Chechnya and the lack of transparency surrounding existing information on violations.