56th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights
Agenda item 11

Oral statement by the
Transnational Radical Party

Delivered on 6 April 2000 by
Akhyad Idigov



Mr Chairman,
Honourable delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for this opportunity to make an intervention on behalf of the Transnational Radical Party, regarding freedom of speech, torture, and cruel and degrading treatment and punishment.

Unfortunately, the fact that states have signed and adopted international Conventions has not had the desired effect: states continue to violate human rights.

As a result, millions of people today feel defenceless in the face of arbitrary rule, leading to a multitude of conflicts and human sacrifice. So-called 'hot spots' continue to erupt around the world. It is perfectly obvious that extra mechanisms must be adopted to prevent the violation of international norms and conventions.

Every day we hear, through the media, the voices of people around the world who are waiting for your action, waiting for action from the United Nations.

Voices of truth are being silenced, as illustrated by the example of Radio Liberty's Andrei Babitsky. Reading the documentary evidence of Amnesty International, Médecins sans Frontières and many other non-governmental and humanitarian organizations, we can see the immense challenges to building a world where human rights are defended.

I would like in particular to raise the example of the violation of human rights, including freedom of speech and freedom from torture, both in and outside the Chechen Republic Ichkeria, for reasons of ethnic origin.

The Russian State, without providing any evidence, has accused the entire Chechen people of responsibility for explosions in residential areas of Russian cities. Chechens and other people from Chechnya are being persecuted and prevented from travelling abroad. More than 200 thousand refugees are being deprived of their rights.

We have copies of Order No. 1514-3612 of 4 September 1999, from the head office of the Russian Ministry of the Interior, and also the 1994 decree N-2887-P on the deportation of the Chechen people, which bears the signature of the former Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Viktor Chernomyrdin.

Today war is raging once again. Since 1994 more than 140 thousand civilians have been killed. People are dying under the bombs and rockets, at the hands of torturers in filtration camps, from the humiliation of their honour and dignity.

Accurate information about the war is being suppressed by the Russian government, which has prevented journalists and humanitarian organizations from entereing Chechnya. Of what value is information when it is released by one side only - the side which is killing civilians?

Many cases of human rights abuse have been documented - I will mention just one.

In the night of 6-7 February 2000, the village of Gekhi-Chu in Chechnya came under fire for 17 hours from bombs and rockets, which destroyed all the houses. When daylight came, over 500 soldiers entered the village and proceeded to kill and humiliate its peaceful inhabitants. 60 people were shot dead, among them children and women. The inhabitants of the village sent an appeal to the United Nations, signed by 64 people.

Mr Chairman,
The Transnational Radical Party condemns the gross human rights violations committed by Russia in Chechnya and demands that the Russian authorities be called to account.

Mr Chairman,
I, Akhyad Idigov, representative of the President of the Chechen Republic-Ichkeria to the United Nations, Chairman of the Chechen Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Vice-President of the Unrepresented Nations' and Peoples' Organization, made an intervention here exactly two years ago, as did many others. From this podium I raised the problem of massive violation of human rights in the Chechen Republic-Ichkeria, and called for intervention in the impending conflict between Russia and Chechnya. Unfortunately, our voice was not heard at that time.

We can all see what this led to in Chechnya. The High Commissioner for Human Rights spoke on this very subject yesterday, here at the United Nations.

Mr Chairman,
Once again we urge you to turn your attention to the question of Chechnya. I speak to you in the name of the Chechen people, their President Aslan Maskhadov and the Parliament of the Chechen Republic-Ichkeria.

We call on you to establish a special international commission of inquiry on human rights in Chechnya. We have to save human lives. Please hear the voice of the Chechen people, appealing to you here today. In 1997, the Chechen people expressed its democratic will, against which Russia is now waging a war. Please do not abandon us in this war with Russia. This is our renewed appeal.

Thank you for your attention.