The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,...

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Secretary-General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe expressed their deep concern at continuing reports of violations of human rights and humanitarian law by federal forces in Chechnya. They emphasised the importance of a credible response to these allegations and expressed their readiness to support the national authorities, in particular the presidential representative for human rights in Chechnya, in investigating human rights violations. They reiterated their call on the authorities of the Russian Federation to allow international monitoring of the human rights situation. They urged that full access and appropriate conditions be provided to enable international humanitarian assistance to be delivered and that access to detainees and internally displaced persons be granted.