Putin: Taleban, Chechnya and human rights - 5 November, 2001 - News

President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin declares that while terrorism must be fought in Chechnya and in Afghanistan, human rights must be respected.

The Russian Federation and the United States of America agree that the Taleban as a movement should not be allowed to take part in a future administration in Afghanistan. This decision was taken at a meeting between the US Under Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, and the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Vyacheslav Trubnikov in Moscow on November 1st.

President Putin admitted that “It is very difficult to resist the temptation” to respond to terrorism by using the same methods because terrorists, for example in Chechnya, do not respect individual liberties, behave in a “cruel and pitiless manner” and do not respect “any rules of human or moral rights”. He added, “But we are obliged to constantly defend individual rights and freedom”.

The Russian Federation President made his declaration at a meeting of European Constitutional Courts, held in Moscow, increasingly a venue for international meetings due to its climate of stability, security and excellent hostelry installations.

Timofei BYELO Pravda.Ru