(Moscow, May 9, 2008) – Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier should press Russia to immediately end impunity for human rights violations in Chechnya and cease harassment of and restrictions on civil society in Russia, Human Rights Watch said today. Steinmeier will travel to Russia on May 12 to meet with government and nongovernmental organization representatives. In a May 7 letter to Steinmeier, Human Rights Watch urged the foreign minister to press the Russian leadership to fully implement European Court of Human Rights judgments that had held Russia responsible for serious violations in Chechnya. In a speech last month to the Council of Europe, Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed the importance of reforming the court to enable it to handle its enormous backlog of cases. Russia has been obstructing the reforms, and also now generates some 20 percent of the applications from victims to the European Court.

In 26 rulings to date, the European Court has repeatedly found Russia responsible for serious abuses in Chechnya, including torture, "disappearances," and extrajudicial executions. Russia has refused to fulfill its obligations to the court by carrying out meaningful investigations and addressing the underlying causes of abuse.

"Persuading Russia to fully honor its obligations to the court is one of the best ways to ensure the court's integrity," said Holly Cartner, Europe and Central Asia director for Human Rights Watch. "Investigating past abuses is a vital step not only for justice, but for preventing further abuse and therefore future cases cramming the court."

Human Rights Watch also called on Steinmeier to urge the Russian government to reign in harassment of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Three recent NGO reports, including Human Rights Watch's "Choking on Bureaucracy", documented excessive and harmful government intrusion into NGO work, and selective implementation of laws and regulations for the purpose of harassing organizations that work on controversial issues or that receive foreign funding.

"We sometimes hear that Germany can't 'tell Russia what to do' because of historical sensitivities," said Cartner. "But Germany is a serious partner and friend to Russia. It is very well-placed to encourage Russia to honor its international human rights obligations."

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