Alkhanov acknowledges the use of torture in Chechnya

Yesterday, February 28, Chechen President Alu Alkhanov had a press-conference in Moscow. Apart from the information on the resignation of Prime-Minister Sergey Abramov, the Republic's leader made a few more statements. First, Alkhanov virtually confirmed the recent statement of Louise Arbur and Alvaro Gil-Robles, Commissars of the United Nations and the Council of Europe on Human Rights, to the effect that torture is applied to detainees in Chechnya, reports the "Nezavisimaya Gazeta."

"In the course of meetings with Louise Arbur and Alvaro Gil-Robles, the issues of kidnappings were discussed, and the issue of torture during preliminary investigation was raised," relayed the Chechen President, "although no specific facts have been mentioned." Answering the question on the objectiveness of claims by human rights activists on the issue, Alu Alkhanov said: "Torture is used during interrogations everywhere in the world. However, in Chechnya the level of such crimes is two or three percent higher." According to him, criminal cases have been initiated on the revealed incidents of abuse of power by law enforcement officers. But the Chechen leader noted that, in recent times, the number of such phenomena in the republic decreased.

According to the Chechen leader, the situation in the republic is becoming more stable. This facilitates reduction of the military contingent on the Republic's territory. For instance, during a recent meeting of the Regional Operational Headquarters on controlling the anti-terrorist operation in North Caucasus a decision to remove ten block-posts was taken.

"The united troops on the Republic's territory now total 36,000-38,000 people, including those who serve at the places of permanent dislocation and those assigned to units," reported Alu Alkhanov.

The Chechen President also touched upon international issues. Answering the question on the ties of the KHAMAS movement with Chechen militants, Alkhanov said that he did not possess information on the issue. He noted thereat that KHAMAS had to be taken into account and he considered the proposal to invite leaders of the movement to Moscow as "positive and constructive".

"As the world practice shows, when a very militant group comes into power it often pursues democratic and liberal policy," stated the Chechen President. "If there is any wish among KHAMAS representatives, they should be given an opportunity. Someone must be the first to open the door."

For reference, Alvaro Gil-Robles, head of the Council of Europe office on human rights, and his future successor Thomas Hammarberg completed their visit to Chechnya last week. In Grozny they met Chechnya leadership and parliament members, visited the State University and the "Chernokozovo" pre-trial prison.

The Council of Europe representatives talked with Vakhit Murdashev, former assistant of Aslan Maskhadov, who was detained in the village of Tolstoi-Yurt in March 2005 in the course of an operation to detain the leader of the Chechen militants. Maskhadov was killed then.

Commenting on his visit to the pre-trial prison, Gil-Robles stated: "I was literally shocked to see changes for the better which had occurred within the recent years. Five years ago, when visiting "Chernokozovo", I was clearly in favour of its closure. Now, the conditions there are quite different."

Additionally, Alvaro Gil-Robles, Commissar of the Council of Europe on Human Rights, called upon Chechen militants to lay down arms. In the opinion of Gil-Robles, "the situation in the Chechen Republic demonstrates that the war here has ended."

Judging from the statements by Alvaro Gil-Robles, corruption in Chechnya during the recent years has only expanded, reports radio "Liberty." Talking before journalists after his meeting with Chechen President Alu Alkhanov, the head of the Council of Europe office on human rights mentioned the violations connected with payment of compensation for the destroyed or lost property by Chechnya residents.

Alvaro Gil-Robles paid attention to the problem of mass disease among children of the Republic's Shelkovskoy district. "This is a very worrying issue. This issue, the illness among children, causes concern. I think it is necessary to urgently obtain full information on the problem, the reasons for the illness must be promptly identified," stated Gil-Robles.

Gil-Robles said that he had received more detailed information about the events in the Shelkovskoy district during his meeting with representatives of non-government human rights organizations held on February 25. During the meeting the human rights activists said that people still disappear in Chechnya, the environmental situation is grave, human rights are being violated everywhere.

In his talk with journalists, the head of the Council of Europe office on human rights noted that one of the main tasks of the Chechen leadership was to combat the kidnapping of people. According to him, there are much more facts of disappearances of people in the republic than is mentioned, and the law enforcement bodies must respect the principles of a law-governed state. According to him, the Council of Europe will never stop discussing the problem.

He also discussed the issue of kidnapping of people with the Republic's President Alu Alkhanov and acting head of the government Ramzan Kadyrov. Gil-Robles stated that, "in the course of combat operations, the main fundamental rights of citizens had undoubtedly been completely violated."

Alvaro Gil-Robles, a well-known Spanish lawyer, Commissar of the Council of Europe on Human Rights, has occupied the post since October 15, 1999. He was born on September 9, 1944 in Lisbon (Portugal). From 1980 till 1983, he was member of the Spanish Constitutional Court. From 1983, he occupied the position of the first deputy Ombudsman in Spain. In 1988, Alvaro Gil-Robles was appointed National Ombudsman and occupied the post until 1993. He is a recognized expert in the area of human rights, a consultant of numerous international and national human rights organizations (in Europe and Latin America), he also specialized in fighting discrimination and providing aid to refugees. He used to be an observer at general elections in a number of countries.

This visit of Gil-Robles to Chechnya in the capacity of the Commissar on Human Rights was the last one, as on April 1 he is going to pass his powers to Hammarberg who was elected to this position in the course of the last-year autumn session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Gilles-Robles is the first Commissar of the Council of Europe on Human Rights elected in 1999 for the term of 6 years.