JULY 2010

THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2010

Frank Judd: "Situation in Chechnya affects not only locals, but the global community as a whole"

July 28th, 2010

Russian authorities have managed to isolate the Chechen Republic from western journalists and almost completely block the flow of independent information from the region. However, the commitment to act most cruelly and violently in Chechnya is in fact an evidence of Moscow's weakness; while the best way out is in improvement of social and economic life in Chechnya and launching the negotiation process. This was told in the interview to the "Caucasian Knot" by Lord Frank Judd, participant of the inter-party parliamentary group for defence of human rights of the British Parliament, former PACE's Rapporteur for Chechnya, who paid a visit to the republic as the head of the British parliamentary delegation on February 15-18, 2010.

Gregory Shvedov (G. Sh.): You prepared a wonderful report on the outcomes of your visit, containing a long list of recommendations. ...

MOSCOW - Russia's human rights ombudsman for Chechnya has filed a complaint against police in a neighbouring province for allegedly torturing a man suspected of links to a police station bombing.

Ombudsman Nurdi Nukhazhiyev said in a statement late Tuesday that a Chechen man suspected of being involved in the April suicide bombing of a police station in Ingushetia had been tortured so severely that he now was in a wheelchair.

The man, Zelimkhan Chitigov, was hospitalized with injuries ranging from bruises to electricity burns to a concussion, he said, adding that Ingushetian prosecutors had opened a criminal probe into it.

The bombing, in the town of Karabulak, killed two policemen and wounded several others.