2009-12-18: Human Rights Defenders Must Return to Chechnya
People in Chechnya must not be left without access to justice. We must continue to act against human rights violations in the North Caucasus and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice, a group of human rights organisations says in a joint statement.
Since the murder of the prominent human rights defender Natalija Estemirova on July 15, 2009, the Russian human rights organisation Memorial has been forced to give up its work in Chechnya. The authorities continue to intimidate and harass human rights defenders and several have been forced to leave Russia because of death threats.
The victims of human rights violations in Chechnya have nowhere to turn, while those who have committed crimes continue to enjoy impunity. The statement by, among others, Civil Rights Defenders, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, FIDH, Memorial, Moscow Helsinki Group states that human rights organisations have a responsibility to monitor and report on human rights abuses in Chechnya.
Read statement here: Statement on North Caucasus – December 16th
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