[prisoner-rights] Secret prisons in Chechnya should be of concern to the Council of Europe

Vienna, 15 May 2006. The International Helsinki Federation for Human
Rights (IHF) has submitted its report “Unofficial Places of Detention in
the Chechen Republic” to Council of Europe Legal Affairs Committee
Rapporteur Dick Marty, who is mandated to investigate “alleged secret
detention centres in Council of Europe member states”.

The 37-page report documents the existence of secret prisons in Chechnya
operated by Chechen officials, in particular the so-called “Kadyrovtsy,”
and by Russian security forces. These facilities violate Russian law and
Russia’s obligations as a party to the European Convention on Human Rights
(ECHR) as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR).

“Secret illegal prisons are used for detaining, torturing and even killing
kidnapping victims in Chechnya,” according to Aaron Rhodes, IHF Executive
Director. “We believe the investigation by Mr. Marty must focus on this
issue as a challenge to the rule of law and human rights in a Council of
Europe member state.”

The full report is posted on the IHF internet site at: 
http://www.ihf-hr.org/documents/doc_summary.php?sec_id=3&d_id=4249

 
For further information:
Aaron Rhodes, IHF Executive Director, +43 -676-635 66 12
Joachim Frank, IHF Project Coordinator, +43-676-312 23 48
Henriette Schroeder, IHF Press Officer, +43-676-725 48 29