Danish Foreign minister Mogens Lykketoft will try to find countries which can support a case at the European Human Rights Court against Russia for violations in Chechnya. But that's a difficult task, Lykketoft points out.

Foreign minister Mogens Lykketoft (Soc.Dem.) has a difficult task when he now - as he told Berlingske Tidende yesterday - is going to try to collect support among other countries for a case at the European Human Rights Court in Strasbourg against Russia's violations in Chechnya. "So far there hasn't been any support for such a step, e.g. in the EU circle", Mogens Lykketoft confirms.

And it is correct that history would be written if it ends with a suit against Russia. During the 50-odd years the human rights court has existed, there have been only 8 cases when a state or a group of states has sued a country. Denmark has been involved in two of them: In 1967, when Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands sued Greece after the military coup, and in 1997, when Denmark sued Turkey because of the torture by the Turkish authorities of Danish-Kurd Kemal Koc.

But there is one country which would be the most appropriate for Mogens Lykketoft to seek support from: the Netherlands, where the parliament according to the human rights organization Human Rights Watch has asked the government to work for having Russia sentenced because of atrocities against the civilian population in Chechnya.

It is a similar call on the Danish government by a majority in the Folketing [Danish parliament] that now has caused the Foreign Minister to get into contact with other countries.

The initiator of the parliamentary pressure on Mogens Lykketoft, Seren Sendergaard from the Unity List [Leftist Socialists] stresses, though, that Denmark in the end would have to sue Russia alone, if no other countries support a case. "This, too, follows from the request which a broad majority outside the government has sent to Mogens Lykketoft", Sendergaard clarifies. Additionally to the Unity List, it's the Socialist People's Party, the Liberals, the Conservatives, the Christian People's Party and the Danish People's Party which are behind the demand to sue Russia.

Lykketoft skeptical

Mogens Lykketoft doesn't conceal that he personally doubts if a human rights suit against Russia is the best thing to do at the moment. Referring to a parliamentary debate in the middle of May about Chechnya, the Foreign Minister remarks: "As I said in the Folketing on 17 May, one shouldn't exclude the usefulness of an instrument like a case against Russia in the human rights court. But it was my opinion as well, on the other hand, that we at this point ought to wait for the results that might emerge from the cooperation with Russia - not least in the Council of Europe (an organization for the advance of democracy and human rights that has Russia and 42 other countries as members, ed.)" Nevertheless, the Foreign Minister will now raise the question with other countries.

"Based on the request I'll now renew contacts, among others with the EU circle. It would also be useful to hear the precise opinion of the different instances of the European Council and of persons like Lord Russell Johnston and human rights commissioner Gil Robles about the question how we could promote a case in the best way. I agree that viewpoints from that side have great weight," Mogens Lykketoft explains.

Especially Lord Russell Johnston, the chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, has on several occasions and with strong words complained that not a single country among the members of the Council of Europe has been ready to have Russia's violations in Chechnya investigated by the European Human Rights Court.

Cooling of Danish-Russian relations

The Russian embassy expressed yesterday that it wouldn't comment on Lykketoft's step, which they only know from the press. "As long as we haven't been contacted officially in this case, we don't have any comments", press secretary Boris Zhilko says.

But there isn't much doubt that the clear demand by the Folketing to sue Russia, as well as the subsequent initiative by the Foreign Minister, will lead to a cooling of Russian-Danish relations.

The Danish criticism of the Russian war conduct in Chechnya has already caused hard counter-reactions from Moscow during the last year.

E.g. when Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen (Soc.Dem.) in a speech last August compared the war in Chechnya with the mass exterminations during the Second World War and the genocides in Cambodia and Rwanda.

And when Russia half a year ago indirectly accused Denmark of "flirting with terrorism", because the Danish authorities had allowed a demonstration in front of the Russian embassy in Copenhagen against the war in Chechnya.

Ole Damkjer, Berlingske Tidende
Translated and contributed by Norbert Strade

http://www.ichkeria.org/a/2001/6/com0406-en10115.html