OSCE sends human rights group to Chechnya

VIENNA, 22 February 1995 - A group of human rights experts from the OSCE is travelling today to Moscow for two days of talks on the human rights situation in the Chechen Republic. From there, the five-member group, headed by Swiss diplomat Lorenzo Amberg, will take a trip to the region of the Chechen crisis.

Other members of the group are: Dr. Fred Quinn of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights; Constitutional Court Judge Luis Lopez Guerra of Spain; Mr. Pierre Filatoff of France/EU; and UK diplomat Alan Parfitt, who will interpret.The group will seek co-operation with Russian authorities to enable the unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to the crisis region. It will look into the possibility of OSCE assistance in setting up a national human rights body to investigate, in co-operation with relevant authorities of the Russian Federation, human rights violations which have occurred both before and during the crisis as well as to ensure that human rights be observed in accordance with the Russian Federation's Constitution.The group will also look into possibilities of OSCE co-operation and assistance with setting up local administration and government in the Chechen Republic. It will discuss the possibilities of OSCE help in preparing local and republic-wide elections.

Meetings planned for the Moscow and Chechnya visits include: The Ministry of Justice; the commission observing the implementation of the constitutional rights and freedoms in the process of restoration of the constitutional order in Chechnya; Chechen leaders and representatives both in Moscow and in all parts of the Chechen Republic (wherever possible); Duma committee investigating the Chechen crisis; Ministry for Emergencies and Natural Disasters; Human Rights Commissioner; international relief organizations working in the area.This is the second OSCE mission to the region. The first, headed by Hungarian Ambassador Istvan Gyarmati, travelled to Moscow and Chechnya on 26 - 29 January and submitted its report to the 52 countries represented at the OSCE's weekly Permanent Council meeting. The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Hungarian Foreign Minister Laszlo Kovacs, emphasized in a 17 February statement that "constructive co-operation with the Russian Federation in the framework of the OSCE remains the solid basis for further OSCE contribution to bring about a lasting overall solution."