Parliamentary questions
by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Council
(07 February 2003)
Subject: Violation of human rights in Chechnya |
E-0425/03
Reply
(29 September 2003)
The Council shares the concerns expressed in the statements mentioned by the Honourable Member.
The Council has raised its concerns about the human rights situation, including the lack of transparency surrounding human rights violations, humanitarian assistance and the suspension of the OSCE Assistance Group in Chechnya on several occasions with the Russian authorities.
Most recently, these concerns were expressed at the Political Directors Troika with Russia on 16 January 2003 and at the Ministerial Troika meeting with Russia in Athens on 24 January. The Council also raised the Chechnya issue at the Cooperation Council meeting with Russia on 14 and 15 April 2003.
The Council greatly deplores the closing down of the OSCE Assistance Group on 31 December 2002 and supports unreservedly all the efforts made by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office to ensure a longer-term, constructive OSCE commitment in the region. To this end, the Council welcomes the proposal made by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office to implement a programme of technical cooperation between the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and the Russian authorities on the development of a timely, coherent and concrete programme of activities, based on the Chechen Republic's real needs on the one hand and on the OSCE's expertise and experience in all three of its dimensions on the other hand.
Moreover, in the framework of the UN Commission for Human Rights, the EU tabled a draft resolution on the situation in the Chechen Republic in which it expressed serious concern about the human rights, security and humanitarian situation on the ground in Chechnya. Unfortunately, the resolution did not receive sufficient support for it to be adopted.