February 25, 2000 (5:25 p.m. EST) No. 31

CANADA VIEWS ALLEGATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN CHECHNYA WITH SERIOUS CONCERN

Russian embassy officials were called into the Department of Foreign Affairs today regarding allegations of serious human rights violations in Chechnya.

"Russia must work together with Canada and the international community to ensure that allegations of human rights abuses in Chechnya are quickly investigated," Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy said after viewing disturbing television footage showing what are reportedly Russian soldiers dumping mutilated bodies in Chechnya. "While we do not have any further information to support the authenticity of these claims, if these allegations are accurate, it confirms some of our worst fears with respect to this conflict."

The conflict in Chechnya was one of the key subjects of Minister Axworthy's meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov in Moscow three weeks ago. At that meeting Mr. Axworthy pressed his Russian counterpart on the immediate need to begin a political process aimed at reaching a peaceful settlement to the conflict, and the requirement for increased access to the region for international humanitarian relief. Canada's concerns about the situation in Chechnya were raised in Ottawa yesterday with visiting Russian Minister and G-8 Sherpa Alexander Livshits. Chechnya has also been the subject of numerous recent interventions by Canada at the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Vienna.

According to Minister Axworthy, it is in Russia's interest to support an investigation into allegations of human rights abuses in Chechnya, including scrutiny by international human rights observers, in order to determine the true extent of the abuses and to identify and bring to justice anyone implicated. Canada welcomes Russian assurances that the video will be handed over to military prosecutors and calls on newly appointed Special Presidential Representative for Human Rights in Chechnya Vladimir Kalamanov to ensure that all allegations are fully investigated.

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