(London, April 13, 2000) -- Prime Minister Tony Blair must take a tough
stand on Chechnya when he meets on Sunday and Monday with Russia's
president-elect, Vladimir Putin, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to
Blair sent today.
Human Rights Watch urged Mr. Blair to warn that Britain is prepared to
take Russia to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, if
Moscow does not vigorously investigate and punish war crimes committed
by its forces in Chechnya.
|
|
"It's up to Prime Minister Blair to keep up the pressure. Russian forces committed three massacres in Chechnya, and their perpetrators are still at large. Blair has to make clear that Britain will take the lead in bringing Russia to account."
Holly Cartner Executive Director of the Europe and Central Asia division at Human Rights Watch. "
|
|
"It's up to Prime Minister Blair to keep up the pressure," said Holly
Cartner, executive director of the Europe and Central Asia division of
Human Rights Watch. "Russian forces committed three massacres in
Chechnya, and their perpetrators are still at large. Blair has to make
clear that Britain will take the lead in bringing Russia to account."
Human Rights Watch has documented massacres of at least 125 civilians by
Russian forces in Alkhan-Yurt, and in the Staropromyslovsky and Aldi
districts of Grozny.
Last week the Council of Europe urged its members to file a complaint
against Russia in the European Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg for
violations of human rights in Chechnya. It also threatened to suspend
Russia from the organization altogether.
The Human Rights Watch letter urges Prime Minister Blair to condition
British support for current and future loan payments by such
international financial institutions as the World Bank on the sincerity
of Russian investigations into war crimes. To date, the Russian
authorities have shown scant inclination to facilitate open
investigation of war crimes and other violations of international
humanitarian law in Chechnya. The United Nations Commissioner for Human
Rights, Mary Robinson, was prevented from visiting detention centers and
massacre sites on her recent visit to the region, while President Putin
refused to meet with her.
Human Rights Watch is not aware of any punitive measures taken against
members of the Russian military in response to the three mass killings
of civilians in Alkhan-Yurt, Staropromyslovsky or Aldi.
The letter to Prime Minister Blair is available here.
|