Strasbourg, 26 June 2000 (RFE/RL) - The president of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) said today that only 12 people have been prosecuted for alleged human rights abuses by Russian forces in Chechnya. Lord Russell Johnston called the number small compared to data on abuses supplied by international human rights watchdog Amnesty International, and even from official Russian numbers.
Johnston said the head of the Russian delegation, Dmitri Rogozine, gave information showing that there have been 420 complaints about human rights abuses.
The Russian delegation is boycotting the PACE session on Thursday when the assembly will also debate the Chechen conflict. The Council of Europe is considering expelling Russia because of perceived human rights abuses by its troops in Chechnya.
The Russian delegation is boycotting the PACE session on Thursday when the assembly will also debate the Chechen conflict. The Council of Europe is considering expelling Russia because of perceived human rights abuses by its troops in Chechnya.