Gil-Robles announces end of war in Chechnya

Alvaro Gil-Robles, Commissioner of the Council of Europe for Human Rights, has called Chechen militants to lay down arms. He made this statement in Grozny after meeting President of Chechnya Alu Alkhanov, the "Echo Moskvy" Radio reports.

"We need to put an end to armed struggle; we need to lay down arms. I call them to do this," Mr Gil-Robles told journalists in Grozny after meeting President Alu Alkhanov. "We need at last to learn how to build peaceful life and peaceful future for the republic." In the opinion of Mr Gil-Robles, "the situation in the Chechen Republic evidences that the war here is over."

"In the last six years I visited the Chechen Republic for many times. For the first time I came here in autumn of 1999, amidst the warfare. Guns and firearms were at work. Today, there's no more cannon crash here. The war in Chechnya is in fact over," Alvaro Gil-Robles has noted.

In his opinion, "there are indication of economic recovery, people return to the republic; positive factors are seen to everybody who comes to Chechnya," the NEWSru.com reports. The CE Commissioner has criticized the negative phenomena related to violations at paying compensations for destroyed and lost property to residents of the Chechen Republic.

"In my previous report on observance of human rights in Russia I said that at payment of compensations in the Chechen Republic many citizens had to pay up to 30 percent of their compensations as a bribe," Gil-Robles told journalists in Grozny.

He continued: "Now they tell me that the rate has gone up to 50 percent of the sum of the compensation; and this is in case when the person has no friends or acquaintances, who can help to receive compensation."

The Commissioner has stated that one of the primary goals, which Chechnya is now facing, is to stop kidnappings. "Unfortunately, the Chechen Republic has much more facts of people's disappearance; and we can't agree that the crime is fought outside the framework of legality," said Mr Gil-Robles. He has emphasized that "law enforcement bodies and power agencies should respect the principles of a lawful state." He continued: "It's a great problem for Chechen leaders; these are the main issues for ensuring safety of all citizens and solving the problem of disappearances. The Council of Europe will never stop talking about the problems of disappearances and impunity that remains in the Chechen Republic. This problem exists, and we'll insist that it should be solved. We plan to appeal both to federal authorities and Chechen leaders. You can't just restore your economy only; you also have to rebuild the Chechen society." The high official has emphasized that disappearance or kidnapping even of one person is unacceptable, as reported by the GZT.ru.