Rights Panel Censures Russia Over Chechnya

The top U.N. human rights watchdog censured Russia on Friday for alleged abuses in Chechnya after last-minute attempts to reach a compromise failed.

Twenty-two members of the U.N. Human Rights Commission, including the United States, voted “yes” to a resolution introduced by the European Union. Twelve members voted against it, and 19 abstained.

Russian troops have been trying to stamp out a guerrilla war in the breakaway province. The rebels drove them out of Chechnya in a 1994-96 war, but the military returned in September 1999 after rebels twice invaded neighboring Dagestan and after a series of fatal apartment bombings that Russian officials blamed on the insurgents.

Russia claims that the fighting is winding down, but clashes continue daily, and there have been complaints of human rights abuses and killings of civilians.

The resolution’s supporters included Canada, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Opponents included China, India and Nigeria.

The measure condemns Russia for “attacks against civilians,” “forced disappearances” and alleged summary executions and breaches of international law.

It also criticized the actions of Chechen rebels, who are accused of torture, taking hostages and the indiscriminate use of land mines.

On Wednesday, the 53-member panel delayed voting after the EU asked for more time for last-minute negotiations.

Ahead of the vote, Russian representative Oleg Malunov said EU criticisms failed to reflect the reality in Chechnya. “This resolution does nothing to solve the situation,” he told the commission.

He said Russia will not consider itself bound by the resolution.

Last year, attempts to produce a compromise statement also failed and Russia became the first permanent member of the U.N. Security Council to be censured by the commission for alleged human rights abuses. The other four permanent members are China, the United States, Britain and France.

Human rights campaigners welcomed the commission vote but called for more international scrutiny of Russia.

“The shabby investigations into abuses launched by Russia shows that only an international inquiry can establish the truth,” said Joanna Weschler, U.N. representative of Human Rights Watch.

Earlier Friday, the EU won 21 votes in favor of a resolution condemning Iran’s human rights record, with support from the United States, Canada, Japan and Latin American countries. Seventeen countries, including Russia, China, India and Indonesia, voted against it, with 15 abstaining.

The EU resolution to the commission cited the imprisonment of journalists, crackdowns on demonstrations and “unsatisfactory compliance with international standards in the administration of justice, in particular public and especially cruel executions.”

It also criticized Iran for failing to cooperate with U.N. human rights experts.

But Iranian Ambassador Ali Khorram attacked the resolution.

“The real aim of the sponsors . . . is not the promotion of human rights but rather . . . yet another means of domination over the developing countries,” he said.