AI states peculiarities of human rights violations in Northern Caucasus

Persecutions of religious minorities and dispersals of oppositional rallies throughout Russia, illegal detentions and torture in Northern Caucasus, and in Chechnya – also harassment of gays, have been mentioned in the report of the Amnesty International (AI) on the observance of human rights in the world.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in January, another international human rights organization, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) also noted mentioned persecutions of gays and mass executions of alleged militants in Chechnya in its report.

Among serious human rights problems in Russia, the AI's report stresses the pressure on the opposition, and oppression of religious minorities and LGBTs.

"Reports were received from Northern Caucasus about violent disappearances, illegal detentions, torture, ill-treatment of detainees and extrajudicial executions. The situation in Chechnya continued deteriorating," the report has stated.

Anastasia Kovalevskaya, an AI's researcher, has added that there were good news, for example, the closure of the criminal case against Valentina Cherevatenko, a rights defender.

The Russian State Duma has treated the AI's report as "politicized," the "Kommersant" writes with reference to the MP Yaroslav Nilov.