§ Mrs. FyfeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Sharia law continues to be imposed in parts of(a) Chechnya and (b) Dagestan; and what representations he has made concerning this. [109092]
§ Mr. VazSharia law, as imposed in parts of Chechnya and Dagestan, has included, among other punishments, public executions. These are in contravention of the European Convention on Human Rights and the human rights standards of the OSCE. The Government have made repeated representations to the Russian Government to urge them to seek a political solution to the situation in Chechnya, with the aim of restoring normal European standards throughout the territory of the Russian Federation. We have urged Russia to use the good offices of the OSCE and the Council of Europe in this task.