Chechnya Government

A: The U.S. Government supports Russia's territorial integrity and right to defend itself against terrorism. At the same time, we consistently press the Russian Government to end human rights abuses and to prosecute those found responsible. We remain committed to a cessation of violence by all parties and to finding a sustainable political solution to the conflict. The United States has contributed over $98 million dollars since fiscal year 2000 to meet the humanitarian needs of Chechens in Chechnya and the surrounding areas of the North Caucasus. We would welcome further constructive cooperation from Russia on resolving the tragic situation in Chechnya. ... [Read More]

Russia

Government pressure continued to weaken freedom of expression and the independence and freedom of some media, particularly major national television networks and regional media outlets; this resulted in the elimination of the last major non-state television station; however, a wide variety of views continued to be expressed in the press. Authorities, primarily at the local level, restricted freedom of assembly and imposed restrictions on some religious groups. Societal discrimination, harassment, and violence against members of some religious minorities remained problems. Local governments restricted citizens' freedom of movement, primarily by denying legal resident permits to new residents from other areas of the country. Government institutions intended to protect human rights were relatively weak but remained active and public. The Government placed restrictions on the activities of both nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and international organizations in Chechnya. E ... [Read More]

Russia

Authorities attributed bombing incidents in Dagestan and several cities in southern areas of the country to Chechen rebels.Government forces and Chechen fighters have used landmines extensively in Chechnya and Dagestan since August 1999 (see Section 1.g.); there were many civilian landmine casualties in Chechnya during the year. b. Disappearance There were reports of government involvement in politically motivated disappearances in Chechnya; however, there were fewer reports of kidnapings than in previous years. The NGO Memorial claimed that federal military forces detained thousands of persons from Chechnya. Some of these persons disappeared, but most were released, often after their relatives paid a bribe. Memorial estimated that the number of individuals unaccounted for was somewhere between several hundred and a thousand. Former Presidential Representative for Human Rights in C ... [Read More]

Russia

The Constitution provides for freedom of speech and of the press; however, government pressure on the media persisted and in some respects increased significantly, resulting in numerous infringements of these rights. The Government exerted pressure on journalists, particularly those who reported on corruption or criticized officials, by: selectively denying journalists access to information including, for example, statistics theoretically available to the public and filming opportunities; demanding the right to approve and censoring certain stories prior to publication; prohibiting the tape recording of public trials and hearings; withholding financial support from government media operations that exercised independent editorial judgment; attempting to influence the appointment of senior editors at regional and local newspapers and broadcast media organizations; removing reporters from their jobs; bringing libel suits against journalists; and intimidating and harassing journalists. Fac ... [Read More]

Russia: OSCE Mandate in Chechnya (Taken Question)

Answer: We have seen press reports but have heard nothing official from the Russian government on this matter. However, we remain committed to finding a suitable formula as soon as possible that will allow the OSCE to continue its constructive engagement and important humanitarian assistance mission in Chechnya. ... [Read More]

2004 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Russia

The law provides for the granting of asylum or refugee status in accordance with the 1951 U.N. Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 protocol, but the Government had not established a system for providing protection to refugees. In practice, the Government provided some protection against refoulement, the return of persons to a country where they feared persecution; however, it rarely granted asylum, and it returned individuals who sought entry without proper documentation to their countries of origin, including to countries where they demonstrated a well founded fear of persecution. The Government cooperated to a limited extent with the UNHCR and the IOM; both organizations assisted the Government in trying to develop a more humane migration management system, including more effective and fair refugee status determination procedures. At year's end, UNHCR had registered 42,931 asylum seekers who originated from outside the territories of the former Soviet Union sinc ... [Read More]

Introduction

Respect for human rights remained poor in Venezuela during 2004, despite the Government victory in an August referendum to recall President Chavez. Opponents charged that the process was fraudulent, but Organization of American States (OAS) and Carter Center observers found that the official results "reflected the will of the electorate." Throughout the year, the Government increased its control over the judicial system and its interference in the administration of justice. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) were subject to threats and intimidation by government supporters. In December, the legislature passed laws that erode freedom of the media, freedom of speech, and which in effect make criticism of the government a criminal offense. The U.S. Government sanctioned the Venezuelan Government for continuing to fall short in efforts to combat trafficking in persons. ... [Read More]

Europe and Eurasia

KAZAKHSTANDuring 2003 and early 2004, the Government’s human rights record remained poor, and it continued to commit numerous abuses. The Government severely limited citizens' right to change their government and democratic institutions remained weak. Members of the security forces, including police, tortured, beat and otherwise mistreated detainees on some occasions. Some officials were punished for these abuses, including the first convictions under the 2002 amendment to the criminal code on torture. Prison conditions remained harsh; however, the Government took an active role in efforts to improve prison conditions and the treatment of prisoners. The Government continued to use arbitrary arrest and detention and to selectively prosecute political opponents, and prolonged detention was a problem as well. Amendments to several laws governing the authority of prosecutors further eroded judicial independence. The Government restricte ... [Read More]

Georgia

The Minister of State Security publicly announced that the identities of the kidnappers of Peter Shaw, a British citizen kidnapped in early 2002 who later escaped, were known to authorities and alleged that Interior Ministry officials were involved in the abduction. The State Minister also publicly confirmed the possible involvement of government officials in the kidnapping. In July, the Government announced that it had detained four suspects; however, the investigation into the kidnapping was officially closed in October due to lack of a suspect. Foreign observers criticized the Government's investigation and alleged that political motivations prevented the Government from prosecuting the kidnappers. ... [Read More]

Guidelines for Submission of Proposals for Activities in the North Caucasus

Proposals will only be accepted from NGOs that can demonstrate that they are already registered with the Russian Government as humanitarian organizations. Proposals should describe the extent to which activities have been coordinated and approved by the Russian Government as well as the procedures used for procurement, importing of goods, paying of taxes, and obtainment of permits. Proposals are encouraged from organizations that already have well-established mechanisms for handling these matters. ... [Read More]