NEW YORK. Jan 14 (Interfax-AVN) - Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Russia is taking all the necessary steps to improve the human rights situation in Chechnya.
"I take the responsibility of saying that we are not only fully informed about the observation of law and order in that constituent territory of the Russian Federation, but are taking all necessary measures to improve it at both the federal and regional levels," he told a Thursday conference in New York on resisting new threats and challenges.
All violations of human rights, including those committed during anti-terrorist operations, "are thoroughly investigated and the culprits are punished in strict compliance with Russian law," he said.
"Last year, scores of servicemen were sentenced for various crimes, including crimes against civilians in Chechnya, and the fact that the rate of crimes has dropped fundamentally has only one explanation - there is no war anymore," he said.
The Chechen parliament to be elected this year will promote the observation of human rights, the completion of a political settlement, and the restoration of a peaceful life, Ivanov said.
"We will continue to take a tough stance on protecting our national interests," he said.
"I think it is not quite fair when our foreign partners say that conditions for free elections have not been created in Chechnya, while there are such conditions in such countries as Afghanistan, Iraq, or Kosovo. That is nonsense. We know how our American partners act when they have to protect their interests," Ivanov said.