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Open Letter to NATO Secretary General

Secretary General Lord Robertson
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Boulevard Leopold III
1110 Brussels

Dear Lord Robertson,

I am writing to ask that you emphasize in Wednesday's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that NATO's concerns about the conduct of Russian forces in Chechnya remain unchanged. We hope you will convey that atrocities perpetrated by these forces against unarmed civilians, and continued impunity for them, do not advance the global fight against terrorism. Should President Putin raise Russia's expectation that it will be considered a candidate for membership in NATO, we urge you to reaffirm that Russia must fulfill the same conditions as all other candidate countries, including respect for human rights.

Human Rights Watch has condemned the horrific September 11 attacks as a crime against humanity and welcomed efforts in Europe and the U.S. to prevent the recurrence of such atrocities and to bring those responsible to justice. We remain concerned, however, that some countries might cynically exploit the fight against terrorism to justify the brutal means they have employed to put down domestic political opponents. We believe that particularly in these times NATO must underscore that the observance of democratic principles and international humanitarian law is an important element of any effective anti-terrorism strategy.

President Putin was among the first to seek to exploit the September 11 attacks by comparing the U.S. war on terrorism to Russia's own actions in Chechnya. The Russian government has tolerated systematic abuses of the most fundamental principles of international humanitarian law in Chechnya in the course of what it calls its counter-terrorist operation. In the past two years, Human Rights Watch has documented indiscriminate and disproportionate bombing by federal forces, as well as extrajudicial executions-including in at least three massacres-torture of detainees, forced disappearances, and other very serious violations. Field research conducted by Human Rights Watch this summer found evidence that most of these abuses continue.

Russian efforts to hold accountable the servicemen and commanders who committed these crimes have been meager, indicating a weak commitment to justice, preventing abuses, and enforcing military professionalism and discipline. Of the 358 cases under investigation as of May, eleven have been brought to trial, resulting in five active prison sentences. The majority of investigations by the military procuracy-the only agency authorized to investigate abuses by Ministry of Defense servicemen-have been suspended, closed, or referred to ineffectual local law enforcement agencies. Few investigations relate to torture, summary execution, arbitrary detention, and forced disappearances-the main abuses perpetrated in this conflict. Not a single high-level commander has had to answer for atrocities. When Russian troops conducted sweep operations there this summer, detaining and torturing hundreds of people, their commander initially admitted abuses, but officials backed away from the criticism, and gave no indication that the military would be reined in.

President Putin's recent public remarks indicate an expectation that the international community will now condone or ignore this appalling record. To stem this expectation, NATO should use Wednesday's meeting to voice concern about continuing abuse and impunity for it. We hope you will remind President Putin that NATO partners must respect international humanitarian law in all operations, including the new fight against international terrorism, and that it expects no less of Russia in the Chechnya conflict.

We hope your dialogue with President Putin will also point to Russia's record in Chechnya as an impediment to other areas of cooperation with NATO, including Partnership for Peace, Balkans peacekeeping, and NATO membership candidacy. NATO must scrutinize the Russian military's lack of discipline and professionalism in the Chechnya campaign, examine the record of specific Russian units with which it may have military contacts, and emphasize the need for accountability in the context of these programs.

The new international environment should not cause NATO to compromise on its standards for membership-respect for democratic freedoms, civilian control of the military, and constructive policies toward neighbors. NATO applied strict standards for Central European countries' candidacies; notably, it refused to consider Slovakia for membership when its leaders were harassing their political opponents, and made clear to Croatia that it could not even expect membership in the Partnership for Peace when it was resisting accountability for war crimes. Mr. Putin, on the other hand, is seeking NATO membership while trying to bring the last of Russia's independent television stations and one of its most prominent stations under government control. Prosecutions of journalists and academics on unfounded charges of espionage have pointed to resurgent KGB methods. And little effort has been made to hold accountable those responsible for abuses in Chechnya.

As for relations with neighbors, Poland strengthened its case for NATO membership by supporting democracy and the rule of law in Ukraine and Belarus. Russia has been aligned with a leader in Belarus who has allegedly used death squads to eliminate opponents. It has done nothing to discourage repressive neighbors in Central Asia from becoming the most Soviet of post-Soviet states, a trend that can only worsen as these countries exploit the global fight against terrorism to further crack down on their domestic critics.

Now is the time to reaffirm the values NATO has publicly stood for and to maintain its standards for membership. Rather than changing the nature of the alliance to accommodate Russia, NATO should use Russia's candidacy to challenge Russia - to seek membership on terms that will make it both a freer and stronger country.

I thank you for your attention to this letter, and welcome constructive dialogue with you on the concerns raised herein.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Andersen
Executive Director
Europe and Central Asia division