icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
24 Nov, 2009 11:09

“Still no stability in the Caucasus” – EU human rights commissioner

Illegal armed groups have intensified their activities in Russia’s North Caucasus region, according to a new report by the human rights commissioner of the Council of Europe.

Thomas Hammarberg recently reported on the situation in the North Caucasus after visiting the Russian Republics of Chechnya and Ingushetia in September.

He says the authorities are making an effort to enforce the law, but stability in the region has not been achieved.

Hammarberg has urged Chechen authorities to do more to protect citizens from terrorism in the republic and defend their human rights.

The report adds that, since the end of last year, NGOs have reported an increase in the number of abductions and disappearances in Chechnya.

The commissioner stresses it is absolutely crucial to conduct effective investigations into current and past murders of human rights activists in the area.

Political analyst Aleksandr Pikayev agrees that, although the situation in the region has improved significantly compared to the early 2000s, local and federal authorities should do more.

“After all, you cannot achieve stability while people are being tortured and abducted. This is of course unacceptable,” Pikayev believes.

Meanwhile, a special operation aimed at neutralizing alleged terrorist groups in a Chechen region is underway. Due to this, a state of counter-terrorist operation was introduced there on Tuesday night.

Podcasts
0:00
26:13
0:00
24:57