DATE=04/15/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-288738

TITLE=HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH/CHECHNYA (L)

BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN

DATELINE=GENEVA

CONTENT=

INTRO: Human Rights Watch says people in the Russian Republic of Chechnya

continue to "disappear" while in the custody of Russian forces. Lisa

Schlein reports the organization has released a new report in Geneva which

details nearly 90 cases of "disappearances" carried out between September

2000 and January 2002.

TEXT: Human Rights Watch says the scale of the ongoing disappearances

belies any notion that forced disappearances of civilians in Chechnya is a

problem of the past. The Report provides detailed information on 87 cases

of disappearances.

Human Rights Watch representative, Rachel Denber, says these cases are

based on extensive interviews with family members and only

represent a fraction of disappearances. She says the actual total of

"disappearances" is believed to be far higher.

Ms. Denber also says there is a uniformity in the way people disappear. She notes

Russian military or security forces will detain an individual, usually a man,

in the presence of witnesses. And, this, she says is normally the last time

the person is seen alive by his relatives, who then embark on a prolonged

search for the missing person, who has likely met a terrible fate.

///DENBER ACT///

In some cases, the search ends when a body is found in

a makeshift grave. In most cases though, the person never shows up at all.

They are simply never found. They have disappeared. Meanwhile, while they

are missing, the person who disappeared is in grave danger of extra judicial

execution and torture.

///END ACT///

Ms. Denber says the Russian authorities have introduced some improvements

with respect to such missing persons reports. These include better channels for the

complaints of relatives and the formal opening of investigations in most cases. However, she

says most abuses remain uninvestigated and unpunished.

And, she says there is credible evidence that the military obstructs investigations

by transferring those accused of crimes out of Chechnya to avoid having them

questioned. Ms. Denber says Human Rights Watch has done several studies of violations committed by

Chechen rebels. She says these mainly involve the assassinations of people

who work for the civilian administration of Chechnya and are suspected of

collaborating with the Russian authorities.

///2ND DENBER ACT///

The lion's share of the abuses are perpetrated by Russian forces and that

makes sense. There are just sheer numbers of the Russian forces there

and of the number of cases we have documented, the lion's share are

perpetrated by the Russians. But, that is not to say that the Chechens

do not perpetrate abuses as well.

///END ACT///

Human Rights Watch is calling on the U-N Human Rights Commission to condemn

violations by Russia in Chechnya. It also is appealing to Russia to invite

U-N monitors to investigate cases of disappearances. (Signed)

NEB/LS/ SAB