Human Rights Center "Memorial"

Statement on behalf of the
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights,
International League for Human Rights,
International Service for Human Rights,
Norwegian Helsinki Committee and
Human Rights Center "Memorial"

59th Session of the Commission UN on Human Rights
Agenda item 9

April 1 2003

Thank you, Ms/Mr Chairman,

I am speaking on behalf of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, the International League for Human Rights, the International Service for Human Rights, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and the Human Rights Center "Memorial" based in the Russian Federation.

In Chechnya, on the territory of the Russian federation, the continuing military action has taken the form of a guerilla war. Russian officials have stated that their actions against the Chechen combatant forces should be viewed as part of the international war on terrorism. However, the international community should be aware that Russian federal forces have committed grave abuses against the Republic's peaceful civilian population.

We know and condemn that some Chechen combatants use terror against the civil population. Life of those Chechens, who cooperate with federal authorities, is under permanent threat. But these actions of the Chechen guerilla at no moment justify the terror executed by the Russian federal forces against the Chechen population as a whole.

During the last year civilians continued to suffer from "mop-up" operations in towns and villages, which were accompanied by acts of theft, mass detentions, and degrading treatment of local residents by Russian federal forces. These operations constitute a systematic method of collective civilian punishment. Hundreds of detainees were transferred to illegal filtration camps, where they were beaten and tortured. Many of these detainees subsequently disappeared, never to be seen again.

Recently, the number of such broad "mop-up" operations seemed to decrease. Nevertheless, masked men continue to arrive in unmarked military vehicles kidnapping selected civilians from their homes. Afterwards, locals often find the tortured corpses of the kidnapped. "Memorial" Human Rights Center confirmed that 59 murders and 90 kidnappings took place in January and February 2003, a higher figure than the average for the past year. All evidence suggests that these are not only individual crimes committed by undisciplined military servicemen, but the result of organized criminal groups within the state power structure. These groups function as death squads.

The majority of crimes committed against civilians remain unpunished. Most investigations of these cases have ceased. Crimes properly investigated constitute only a very small fraction of these criminal cases.

Against the backdrop of a continuous reign of terror against the Chechen population and a de facto state of emergency, the Russian authorities held a referendum in Chechnya concerning a new constitution and future presidential as well as parliamentary elections. Lack of security, mobility and freedom of political expression within Chechnya has made a parody of this referendum.

Local and international human rights organizations report that the Chechen electorate was subjected to violent threats, threats to their livelihood, intimidation, and other kinds of coercion in an effort to make them support the new constitution. These reports establish that Russian Government claims of an overwhelming approval of the new constitution are false. We believe, that under such circumstances this referendum can lead to a further escalation of the conflict.

We want to stress also, that Chechens, permanently or temporary living outside of Chechnya, are subjected to various forms of discrimination and persecution in almost all regions of the Russian Federation. Russian mass media consistently portray Chechens as an "internal enemy" aiming to destroy Russian state. The conflict in Chechnya, unfortunately, has left a mark on the general situation in Russia. We have seen an alarming rise of xenophobia and racism in Russian society during recent years. It is directed not only against Chechens, but against other ethic groups.

We appeal to the Commission on Human Rights to adopt a resolution, which will:

• express serious concern about the continuing human rights violations in the Chechen Republic;
• require unconditional compliance with Resolution #2001/24 of April 20 2001, particularly with reference to visits to Chechnya by special rapporteurs on torture and extra judicial executions, as well as the Secretary General Representative on the issue of internally displaced persons;
• require the Russian Federation to fully observe the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, approved in 1998 by the General Assembly,
• create an international commission to investigate crimes committed in Chechnya.

Thank you for attention.