WRITTEN QUESTION E-0703/00

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(14 March 2000)

Subject: The European Union and the genocide in Chechnya

Since the fall of Grozny, the genocidal nature of the war waged by the Russian army has become even clearer. Should the military action be followed through to its final conclusion, it would lead to the extermination of the Chechen people and Russia's taking over the depopulated territory of Chechnya.

Russia's genocidal action in Chechnya is far worse than Serbia's in Kosovo, but the European Council, a prisoner of unjustifiable and unacceptable ideological prejudices and political interests, has taken not one serious measure to help prevent the tortures and deaths inflicted on the Chechens, and the appalling destruction of their country.

What steps will the Council take to condemn the genocide and restore civil society and liberty in Chechnya?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-0703/00 and E-0707/00

(26 June 2000)

The Council has repeatedly condemned as totally unacceptable the Russian military action in Chechnya. As stated in repeated public declarations, the Council views all the human rights abuses in Chechnya with the gravest concern. Pressure has been maintained at all levels on the Russian authorities to stop human rights abuses against the Chechen population and the Council will continue to strive for progress in achieving a political settlement to the conflict. It is the belief of the Council that its sustained efforts have begun to yield demonstrable results.

The EU has taken every available opportunity to investigate the situation in Chechnya. In this it has been hampered by the difficulty of gaining access to the region. It has, however, organised a fact-finding visit to Chechnya by EU ambassadors to Moscow. The Council has also actively associated itself with other initiatives in the region. There are strong links and good cooperation with the OSCE, of which Austria is the Chair in office, and the Council of Europe, of which Ireland is the Chair in office.

The conclusions of the Helsinki European Council on 10 and 11 December 1999 condemned the Russian action in the most forthright terms. Since the Helsinki Declaration, it has been working with the European Commission on a revised TACIS programme, which would reduce the aid available to Russia to certain priority areas. This programme will centre on institution building, the promotion of democracy and the rule of law. More recently, the conclusions of the Lisbon European Council on 23/24 March 2000 continued to call on Russia to take immediate steps towards a peaceful solution to the conflict. On 27 March, following the election of President Putin, the High Representative of the Council called for peace in Chechnya to be the first

priority of the new administration. On 6 and 7 April, the Troika is set to visit Moscow, where the EU Presidency will use the opportunity to express its views forcefully to the Russian side. And on 10 April the subject will be on the agenda of the Cooperation Council with Russia to be held in Luxembourg.

The Council has repeatedly demanded that all human rights violations be investigated in a credible and transparent way, and that those implicated in atrocities be brought to justice. The President of the Council expressed deep concern about the situation in Chechnya in his statement on 29 March to the Commission for Human Rights in Geneva.

In the Commission for Human Rights the Presidency, acting on behalf of the European Union, played an active part in the debate on human rights in Chechnya. It submitted a Resolution voicing deep concern at reports of gross, widespread and flagrant violations of human rights in Chechnya and calling for a national, broad-based and independent commission of inquiry to be set up. The Commission voted to adopt the Resolution. The Council is monitoring closely the work of Mr Kalamanov, the Russian Presidential Special Representative for Human Rights. It expects him to contribute to bringing about justice in Chechnya, and restoring some faith in the law. The Council strongly calls on the Russian authorities to make this possible.