#22 - JRL 9085 - JRL Home
Interfax
March 10, 2005
Rene van der Linden: I regret that it has not been possible to bring Aslan Maskhadov to trial
PACE President Rene van der Linden ahead of the visit to Russia granted an interview to Interfax

You are planning to visit Moscow as PACE president for the first time. What issues are you going to discuss with Russian officials?

The forthcoming Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe, which will take place in Warsaw from 16 to 17 May, will be an important issue during my visit to Moscow, which, after my meetings with the authorities of our French host country, is also my first visit to one of our member states. My friend Konstantin Kosachev, who was the PACE rapporteur on this issue, considers it should be "the Summit of European unity".

Russia is a very important actor in the European stage. It is a key partner for us and we need Russia's full support for the important decisions to be taken at this Summit with respect to the position of the Council of Europe in the European architecture. Personally, I would appeal to my interlocutors to sustain Russia's commitment to our organisation and to help set the course for our future development.

The Council of Europe's role is essential when it comes to avoiding new dividing lines in Europe and a return to old East-West antagonisms. PACE and the Council of Europe in general offer an ideal forum for dialogue between EU and non-EU member states in Europe. Russia's active involvement, particularly its forthcoming chairmanship of our Organisation's executive, the Committee of Ministers, is crucial in this respect.

I am also very eager to listen to any concrete initiatives my Russian interlocutors may propose.

Some Russian parliamentarians insist that PACE's monitoring of Russia be terminated, and reproach PACE for excessively meticulous attention to the countries that earlier made up the Soviet Union, and argue that Russia's contribution to the Council of Europe be reduced. What is your attitude towards these statements? What role do you think Russia should play in the Council of Europe and PACE and what place should it occupy in these organizations in general?

Our Organisation's principles are not always universally respected. This is a matter of common knowledge. Unfortunately there are still violations of human rights in our member States. The separation of powers continues to be infringed, the press is muzzled, rights of national minorities are not always respected, freedom of religion is flouted and opposition parties are the subject of undemocratic attacks. As one of my predecessors once put it, "we cannot just sweep such facts under the carpet in order to retain 'family harmony'. Families must be able to speak the truth, and the truth sometimes hurts." This is our approach in the Parliamentary Assembly.

An essential means of implementing the Council of Europe's principles and thus preserving its credibility and authority is the monitoring process, to which all member States may be subject.

I can't comment on the content of the PACE monitoring report on Russia because it is still under preparation. Currently, the co-rapporteurs David Atkinson and Rudolf Bindig are waiting for the Russian written comments on the text of their preliminary draft report. What I can say is that PACE treats all countries on an equal basis and does not apply double standards. I therefore hope that those parliamentarians who are arguing that Russia's contribution should be reduced will not find a positive echo.

No country can be allowed "static membership" of the Council of Europe: all members must continue to develop and honour their commitments. Monitoring provides the relevant critical dialogue to that end. The standards are set high, but what counts is Russia's willingness to cope with issues such as the abolition of the death penalty, independence of the judiciary, reform of the penitentiary, freedom of the media, reform of the Procurator's office, the law on federal security service, the protection of minorities and action against xenophobia and racial intolerance.

We must combine our constructive criticism by providing practical assistance. This means decisively reinforcing the co-operation programmes, including at parliamentary level, and I am looking forward to discussing concrete proposals with my interlocutors in Moscow.

One more important point: these reforms are ultimately aimed at helping the people of Russia. When we ask for human rights, it is the rights of Russians that we are protecting, when we ask for democracy it is your vote we defend, and when we insist on the rule of law, it is because you deserve to live under just laws that are fairly enforced.

In February 2006 Russia will mark its first decade in the Council of Europe and I am confident that by then we can proudly look back on the path we have traveled together and continue on our way towards peace and security in a united Europe which is our common destiny.

PACE attaches great significance to efforts towards settling the conflict in Chechnya. How do you assess the situation in the republic? Does PACE have plans to continue keeping a close eye on the situation in Chechnya and the Russian authorities' actions in the republic?

It is not in the interest of any of our member states that the Council of Europe, be it at intergovernmental or interparliamentary level, turns a blind eye on sensitive issues.

When it joined the Council of Europe, the Russian Federation committed itself to "to settle international as well as internal disputes by peaceful means". We all know the situation in the Chechen Republic is far from normal. The Assembly believes there can be no peace there until human rights violations from all sides cease. This implies bringing to justice the perpetrators of the most serious human rights violations, including of course terrorist acts. We must end impunity for crimes committed in Chechnya by conducting impartial and thorough investigations of all allegations of human rights abuses, including those committed by the federal troops and/or Chechen law enforcement bodies.

At PACE level, the Political Affairs Committee is holding a Round Table for the organisation of an exchange of views involving political parties and local politicians from the Chechen Republic and the Russian federal authorities in Strasbourg on 21 March. A spectrum of around 50 invitees will include, among others, Chechen President Alu Alkhanov, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Vladimir Lukin and President Putin's Representative in the Southern Federal District Dmitry Kozak. In accordance with the October 2004 PACE resolution which instructed the committee to organise the event, "persons who refuse to recognise the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation and who declare terrorism a method to achieve their goals cannot participate in this exchange of views".

We have no miracle solution, but PACE will continue to do everything it can to bring an end to the human suffering and a return to normal life in the Chechen Republic.

I hope that the death of Aslan Maskhadov will not trigger more violence and lead to a deterioration of the situation in the Chechen Republic. I regret that it has not been possible to bring Aslan Maskhadov to trial to face the charges brought against him, in accordance with Council of Europe principles.