VOA News

Germany has expressed serious concern over countries that it says use the current struggle against international terrorism as a pretext for violating human rights.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer singled out Russia and China for specific criticism.

He told the U.N. Human Rights Conference in Geneva on Wednesday that Germany is particularly concerned about the situation in Russia's breakaway Chechen republic. Mr. Fischer said Germany has never questioned Russia's legitimate right to maintain its territorial integrity. But he said the use of military force against Chechnya's civilian population is unacceptable.