Timur Utsayev, Grozny. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
The USA Department of State criticized the government of Russia for restriction of fundamental rights and freedoms, paying special attention to the situation in the North Caucasus, in its annual report on human rights.
According to the human-rights ombudsman of the Russian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Konstantin Dolgov, the report of the Department of State is full of clichéd appraisals and is based on double standards. In Chechnya the ombudsman of the republic, Nudri Nukhajiyev, responded to the report. According to him, it would be naïve to think that it won’t present another criticism of the Russian authorities and the leadership of Chechnya. “If we look at the essence of all previous and current reports, all of them are based on anonymous sources or on reports of well-known Russian non-governmental organizations which are sponsored by the Department of State and aimed at collecting negative information.”
The report on 2013 was presented by Secretary of State John Kerry. The Department of State accuses the Russian authorities that “the rule of law is not followed” in the North Caucasus, of using illegal methods of a struggle against terrorists operating in the region. Despite bloody terrorist attacks, victims of which are innocent people, illegal criminal groups which are responsible for them are presented as “armed underground.” Nukhajiyev noted that the USA don’t respect norms of the international law, when it is about war against terrorist organizations which threat America, even if they have to kill militants on territories of other countries: “We remember how severely the administration of the USA acted after September 11th, 2001. Bombing, occupation, sophisticated tortures, restriction of rights and freedoms – there was a lot.”
The Chechen ombudsman thinks that “it would be naïve to deny problems of violation of human rights, corruption in Russia,” but a desire of the Russian authorities to provide a constructive dialogue with the society, and it is aimed at changing the situation for the best. According to the ombudsman, the USA don’t want to admit a high pace of reconstruction of the post-war region where hundreds of schools, hospitals, and other social facilities are rebuilt. In 2007 the president of Chechnya signed the order on additional measures on providing human rights and freedoms of a citizen of the CR. It is a unique document for all regions of Russia.
