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Commissioner of the Council of Europe for Human Rights arrives in Chechnya

RIA Novosti

Commissioner of the Council of Europe for Human Rights Alvaro Gil Robles, who yesterday arrived in the North Caucasus, will go to Chechnya on Wednesday morning. It is supposed that in Grozny he will meet the Chechen administraion head, Akhmed Kadyrov, and representatives of the republican Prosecutor's Office.

In Khankala, Gil Robles will meet with the command of the anti-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus, familiarise himself with the living conditions of the servicemen and will visit several refugee camps. A conference with members of NGOs working in the republic has also been planned.

Then the Commissioner will go to Ingushetia where he will visit forced migrants, those living in camps and accommodated in the houses of local inhabitants. His plans also include a meeting with President of the republic Murat Zyazikov.

As Gil Robles told reporters, the aim of his trip to the North Caucasus is to appraise the situation with regard to human rights on the spot. According to the commissioner, he is also very much interested in the political process now going on in the republic because, he underscored, the real protection of human rights and their respect call, first of all, for stability and a political concord in the republic.

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11.02.2003 16:40

RIA Novosti

MAIN AIM OF VISIT TO RUSSIA BY ALVARO GIL ROBLES IS TO STUDY THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN CHECHNYA

The visit to Russia, in particular to the North Caucasus, by Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe Alvaro Gil Robles pursues one, very important aim - above all to assess the human rights situation on the spot. Gil Robles told reporters about it on Tuesday after his meeting in the State Duma (lower house of the Russian parliament) with chairman of its international committee Dmitry Rogozin.

The commissioner of the Council of Europe pointed out that he was also interested very much of course in the political process which is going on in the Chechen republic, because the protection of human rights and their respect call, first of all, for stability and political concord in the republic. Gil Robles underscored that such process implies that nobody will be cast aside and all will work jointly for achieving the ideals of democracy.

For his part Dmitry Rogozin said that "the objective and professional attitude" of Gil Robles will make it possible to pay attention to those problems which have not yet been resolved to the end. This is also connected with the holding of the referendum on March 23 and, on the whole, with the political process in the Chechen republic." "We are absolutely sure," pointed out Dmitry Rogozin, "that human rights standards must be the same for everybody."

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