NCJ Number
193880
Date Published
February 2002
Length
55 pages
Annotation
This paper presents an overview of the human rights violations that took place during the Russian Government’s sweep operations in Chechnya in 2001 and Human Rights Watch’s attempts to hold those accountable and address the persistent inhumane cycle.
Abstract
Between June 15 and July 4 2001, the Russian Government sent troops into the villages of Chechnya to conduct extremely harsh sweep operations. The government’s plan was to stabilize the tenuous situation in Chechnya by 2001. However, the events in June and July of 2001 destroyed the hopes of peace for Chechnya. The Human Rights Watch organization gained detailed information on the torture and ill-treatment and secret disappearances suffered by thousands of Chechens during the sweep operations. The sweep operations eroded the little trust left of the Chechen civilians in the Russian Government. Peace in Chechnya was possible only if the Russian government would pull back its troops and remedy the abuses. The Human Rights Watch organization has asked the Russian Government to investigate the allegations of violations of international human rights. Several recommendations are presented by the Human Rights Watch organization to the government of the Russian Federation, the international community, the Council of Europe, the United Nations, and the Organizations for Security and Cooperation in Europe to undertake measures to prevent further violations and fulfill the requirements of the U.N. Human Rights Commission Resolution 2001/24 of April 20, 2001.