Genève, 20 avr (AFP) - La Commission des droits de l'homme de l'ONU a condamné pour la deuxième année consécutive la Russie pour les brutalités de ses forces de sécurité dans la république séparatiste de Tchétchénie, lors d'un vote très contesté révélant des fractures au sein de différents groupes de pays.

La Russie, membre du Conseil de sécurité, a également été condamnée pour l'insuffisance des mesures prises en vue de mettre fin aux exactions en Tchétchénie.

Avant le vote, le représentant de la Russie Oleg Malguinov avait qualifié la résolution d'"inacceptable par de nombreux aspects" et ne reflétant pas les mesures prises par l'administration de Vladimir Poutine. Il avait exhorté les 53 Etats membres de la Commission à rejeter "la déformation de la vérité".

Sans la nommer, il s'en est pris à "une délégation" qu'il a tenue responsable d'avoir fait capoter un consensus qui avait déjà trouvé avec l'UE sur une déclaration de compromis. Ce pays, a dit M. Malguinov, "tente de plus en plus d'utiliser la commission à ses propres fins politiques, et revendique le monopole de la vérité". "En affaiblissant le consensus, il apporte son soutien du terrorisme" des extrémistes musulmans techétchènes. Selon une source diplomatique, M. Malguinov désignait les Etats-Unis.

22 des 53 membres de la Commission ont voté pour la résolution présentée par l'Union européenne. Parmi eux, les Etats-Unis et deux pays musulmans, le Pakistan et l'Arabie Saoudite, très militants dans la dénonciation de la répression en Tchétchénie, république à majorité musulmane faisant partie intégrante de la Fédération russe.

12 autres membres, dont la Chine et l'Inde, ont voté contre. Un grand nombre de pays membres (19) se sont réfugiés dans l'abstention.

L'ambassadeur de Suède Johan Molander, parlant au nom de l'UE, avait expliqué que les négociations intensives menées depuis cinq semaines avec la Russie, avec la consultation d'autres pays, pour parvenir à un texte de consensus sur la Tchétchénie qui aurait permis d'éviter un vote de condamnation, n'avaient pas abouti. Il avait exprimé son "regret", saluant "les efforts" de la Russie et sa "volonté politique sincère" dans ces négociations.

Les Européens avaient nettement exprimé le voeu de parvenir à un consensus et d'éviter une humiliation de la Russie. Dans leur texte, ils en sont restés aux mêmes demandes que l'an dernier, refusant de demander, comme le réclamaient certaines ONG, une commission internationale d'enquête.

La résolution juge que Moscou n'a pas répondu de manière satisfaisante aux demandes exprimées par la Commission l'an dernier. Elle réclame à nouveau la mise en place d'une "commission d'enquête nationale" indépendante, et l'autorisation pour des experts des droits de l'homme d'enquêter librement dans la république du Caucase.

L'embarras et la division des membres sont apparus manifestes pendant le vote. Seuls les Européens de l'est et de l'ouest, et les Américains du nord (USA, Mexique et Canada) sont restés unis dans leur appui à la résolution.

Les pays musulmans se sont divisés, Pakistan, Arabie et Qatar votant pour, Algérie et Syrie s'abstenant, la Libye votant contre. Les Africains se sont divisés, avec l'Afrique du Sud votant pour, le Nigéria contre, la RDCongo s'abstenant. Les abstentions ont dominé nettement en Amérique Latine.

A l'exception du Pakistan, aucun pays d'Asie n'a voté pour la résolution: Corée du Sud, Japon et Indonésie se sont abstenus.

Les deux géants asiatiques, l'Inde et la Chine ont émis un vote hostile, exprimant leur condamnation de l'extrémisme musulman et de l'ingérence dans les affaires internes d'un pays souverain. La Chine, qui a contré il y a deux jours une résolution américaine visant à la condamner pour ses propres violations, s'en est pris directement à Washington, affirmant que le vote "était dû à l'obstruction obstinée des Etats-Unis".

UN condemns Russia over Chechnya
20 April 2001

Russia has been condemned by the United Nations for the conduct of its armed forces in Chechnya.

The UN Commission on Human Rights approved a resolution presented by the European Union, overriding vocal objections by countries including Russia and China. It said Moscow was still using excessive and indiscriminate force in the conflict in the breakaway republic and that there should be a credible investigation into violations of human rights by Russian forces.

The vote was held by the 53-member body during its annual session in Geneva.

Before the vote, Russia's envoy Oleg Malguinov took the floor to reject the "unacceptable" resolution and said that his country would not consider itself to be bound by the text.

Twenty-two countries voted in favour of the resolution and 12 against, with 19 abstentions.

The EU mustered support from members including the United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, while Russia's backers included China, India and Nigeria.

It was the second year running the UN had condemned Russia for its military action Chechnya.

The EU text "strongly condemns the continued use of disproportionate and indiscriminate force by Russian military forces, federal servicemen and state agents, including attacks against civilians.

It also attacked what it described as serious violations of human rights, such as forced disappearances, extra judicial, summary and arbitrary executions and torture. It also expressed concern over the "slow pace of investigating alleged serious violations of human rights."

But Mr Malguinov said the resolution did not "reflect reality, developments in the situation, real measures taken by the government and the real perspectives for dealing with the situation."

Talks between the Russian delegation and their EU counterparts had failed to head off the vote.

In presenting the resolution, Sweden's Ambassador Johan Molander, speaking on behalf of the EU, said they welcomed the political will shown by Russia in the five weeks of negotiations. But he said they regretted that the talks with Russia had not produced a text, which would have secured the consensus of the commission.

BBC News, Friday, 20 April, 2001, 18:51 GMT

U.N. Resolution on Chechnya Welcomed

(Geneva, April 20, 2001) -- Human Rights Watch welcomed a resolution adopted today by the U.N. Commission on Human Rights expressing grave concern about human rights violations in Chechnya. The 22 to 12 vote, with 19 abstentions, followed fresh reports detailing Russia's failure to investigate atrocities. (See list below for a list of country votes and cosponsors.)

Introduced by the European Union and cosponsored by 16 countries, the resolution strongly condemns the use of disproportionate force and serious human rights violations by Russia's forces and calls on Russia to ensure that both civilian and military prosecutors undertake credible and exhaustive criminal investigations of all violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. It also raises concern about the pattern of forced disappearances, torture and summary executions perpetrated by Russia's forces in Chechnya.

But the resolution stops short of calling for an international commission of inquiry, a body for which Human Rights Watch and other groups had advocated.

"The Commission basically did the right thing today," said Joanna Weschler, Human Rights Watch's U.N. representative. "But the shabby investigations into abuse launched by Russia shows that only an international commission can establish the truth. Even if the Russian authorities refused to cooperate with it, they would at least feel external pressure and clean up their act somewhat as a result."

At its last session, in April 2000, the Commission adopted a similar resolution, calling for a national commission of inquiry to investigate violations - the first time a Commission resolution censured a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. But throughout the past year Russia willfully refused to comply with the resolution's requirements, and its forces continued to perpetrate atrocities with impunity.

"Today's vote sends a message that no matter how powerful a state is, it won't get a pass on human rights after ignoring the U.N.," said Ms. Weschler. "Now it's up to U.N. member states and other actors in the international community to press for compliance on the resolution in their relations with Russia."

The vote came just as new evidence documented Russia's failure to properly investigate a mass grave in Chechnya. According to a Human Rights Watch memorandum published Monday, the fifty-one bodies found in late February showed evidence of having been extrajudicially executed and bear unmistakable signs of torture.

Countries who voted in favor of the resolution: Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Guatemala, Italy, Latvia, Mauritius, Mexico, Niger, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Kingdom, and United States.

Countries who voted against the resolution: Burundi, China, Cuba, India, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Russia, Venezuela, Vietnam.

Abstentions: Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Peru, Republic of Korea, Senegal, Swaziland, Syria, Thailand, Uruguay, Zambia.

Statement by Olivier Dupuis, Secretary of the Transnational Radical Party and member of the European Parliament:

"First of all, it should be pointed out that the adoption of this resolution was made possible by the determined opposition of the United States to the adoption of a compromise resolution agreed with the Russian Federation, fervently sponsored by some of the member states of the European Union, led by the shameful Dini.

As for the content, the resolution adopted essentially reiterates the requests which the Commission made last year to the Russian Federation, and which have remained unattended over the last twelve months. The task which now confronts the Union is to demonstrate, in its daily business, that the relative courage displayed in Geneva is not an isolated gesture, but the expression of a new political strategy against the criminal policy pursued by the Russian Federation in Chechnya and in favour of a political solution to be achieved through negotiations between Presidents Putin and Mashkadov, accompanied by a determined humanitarian policy equal to the tragedy afflicting Chechnya."