Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner visits Chechnya
Alvaro Gil-Robles met with Kadyrov in Grozny
on 12 February to discuss preparations for the planned 23 March referendum
on a new Chechen draft constitution and election laws, Russian news agencies
reported. Kadyrov rejected Gil-Robles's argument that "sometimes it
is necessary to extend a hand to the adversary to join forces in attempts
to achieve peace and understanding," saying that Chechen President
Aslan Maskhadov is not an "adversary" but "an enemy...who
must either surrender or be eliminated," Interfax reported. During
talks the previous day in Moscow with Russian commissioner for human rights
in Chechnya Abdul-Khakim Sultygov, Gil-Robles acknowledged the importance
of the referendum and other political moves that, he said, would help to
protect the rights of the civilian population, ITAR-TASS reported on 11
February. LF
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