UN believes human rights violations are now decreasing in Russia

'The Russian delegation has managed to sweep away the pessimism of the UN committee on human rights,' Russian Justice Minister Yuri Chaika announced at a press conference yesterday devoted to a Russian delegation's visit to Geneva. At the same time however, Mr Chaika said that the violation of human rights remains a serious and as yet unresolved issue in Russia, a Rosbalt correspondent reports.

Mr Chaika said that members of the UN committee listened to the report of the Russian delegation and came to the conclusion that significant progress has been made in the area of human rights in Russia. Nevertheless, the minister stressed, 'we openly admitted that there are still problems in this area.' He explained that members of the Russian delegation presented reports about the prospects for reforming criminal legislation, increasing the dialogue between the government and non-governmental public organizations and about the peacekeeping process in Chechnya (in connection with the referendum and the presidential elections in the republic).

Mr Chaika said the UN committee asked questions about contradictions in Russian legislation, human rights violations in Chechnya and abuse within the Russian army.

The Russian delegation took part at an assembly of the UN committee on human rights in October 2003. The delegation included Justice Minister Yuri Chaika, President of the Chechen Republic Akhmad Kadyrov and others.