§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are in touch with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights concerning alleged torture and rape by Russian forces in and near Chechnya; and whether they are studying reports on these matters that appear in Le Monde and the Moscow Times. [HL1166]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal)We are in regular contact with the UN High Commission for Human Rights concerning alleged human rights abuses in and around Chechnya. We are studying reports on such abuses from a number of sources, including from the UNHCR, the Council of Europe, NGOs and the media. During his recent visit to Moscow (22–23 February), the Foreign Secretary urged early contact between Mrs Robinson, the UN High Commissioner, and Mr Kalamanov, the recently appointed Russian president's special representative for human rights and civil liberties in Chechnya.