22:50, 1 February 2007

Commission of Outstanding Lawyers has summed up its work in Russia

The Experts' Commission of Outstanding lawyers, comprising Professor Mary Robinson, former commissioner for human rights and the first woman-president of the Republic of Ireland, Stephan Treshel, judge of the UN Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia, and China Jilani, judge of the Supreme court of Pakistan, has summed up two-day hearings on counterterrorism in Russia.

The Experts' Commission failed to meet any high-ranking officials. "We leave Russia with a feeling of regret," Mary Robinson stated. The experts from the international organization mark that Russian authorities use the threat of terrorism for achieving their political aims.

The Commission asserts that the fundamental human rights are not respected in the territory of Russia. The reasons are the imperfections of the legislation and inefficient judicial system.

China Jilani, special representative of the UN Secretary General, has noted that definitions of extremism and terrorism are extremely dim.

Natalya Ivanchenko, CK correspondent