February 25, 2000

To: I. Ivanov,

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russian Federation

121200 Moscow, Smolenskaya-Sennaya square, 32/34

Fax: (7095) 230-2130, 244-9157; Tel.: (7-095) 244-3448

Copy: O. Mironov,

Ombudsman of Russian Federation,

103084 Moscow, Myasnitskaya street, 47

Fax: (7095) 207-1036, 207-4700

Dear Igor Sergeevich,

I am shocked by the Statement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MID) of Russian Federation on February 21, 2000, which condemns the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson for her criticism of the violation of human rights in Chechnya and for her demand of admittance of independent observers to enter the republic. It must be also considered as unacceptable the MID Statement about the necessity to forbid the UN High Commissioner or her personal representative to visit the Northern Caucasia region. It is obvious that the main threat to the State system in any country is the abuse of power realized by the representatives of State authorities themselves, i.e. a sort of "internal decay" of State institutions. And one of the main "remedies" for this "sickness" may prove to be the fulfillment of international obligations taken on by the Russian Federation to observe human rights and to create mechanisms of "transparency" that would be able to prevent any abuse of power aimed against any person by representatives of State authorities. On the contrary, creating a regime of "closeness", insisted on by MID of RF, brings on a dangerous lack of responsibility and thus is objectively directed at undermining Russian constitutional order.

During a number of years we, Russian human rights activists, effectively cooperated with MID in the questions of protecting children's rights, freedom of movement, etc. We know the invariable position of MID, aimed at fulfilling international legal obligations by Russian Federation. And the position taken by MID today arouses only perplexity and regret.

Thereupon I consider it my duty to bring your attention to the principal position of the Ombudsman of RF, Oleg Mironov. On February 21 of this year, in his one hour interview to the "Liberty Radio", in a program devoted to the case of Andrey Babitsky, Russian Ombudsman stated that this case is an infringement of a Russian citizen's rights to receive information. And in connection with the reports on human rights violation in filtration camps in Chechnya he took, to my opinion, the only possible and rational position - he spoke of the necessity for independent monitoring which could either confirm or refute these facts.

Dear Mr. Ivanov, I ask you as a Head of the Russian Foreign Department to support this truly pro-State position of the Ombudsman of Russia. I also ask you, together with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the European Council, to elaborate effective mechanisms of independent control WITHOUT WARNING of observance of human rights - not only in Chechnya, but in the whole of Russian Federation.

Truly yours,

Boris Altshuler,

Member of the Presidium of the RF Ombudsman's Public Expert Council,

Member of Moscow Helsinki group,

Head of the "Right of Child" Program and "Movement without Frontiers" NGO,

Member of the Board of Directors of Russian Research Center for Human Rights.

121019, Moscow, ul. Novyi Arbat, 11, room 19-18, 19-20;

phone: (7-095) 291-5872, phone/fax: (7-095) 291-9176