HRC "Memorial" and President of Chechnya state readiness for dialogue

President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov said that nothing threatens human rights activists in his republic, and nobody had even the slightest idea to hamper the HRC "Memorial". In his turn, the leader of the "Memorial" Oleg Orlov noted that human rights activists are always open for this sort of dialogue.

"I'm bewildered with regular statements of certain human rights organizations about alleged threat to life of their members existing in Chechnya, and I believe it to be a far-fetched problem. Nobody have ever threatened or is threatening them in Chechnya," Mr Kadyrov said on July 11 in Grozny.

According to his version, the republic's authorities "have neither sleep nor rest in their efforts to solve the problems of local residents and will be happy to have support from NGOs," the RIA "Novosti" reports.

The Chechen leader has emphasized that "the authorities are always ready to cooperate and hold dialogue with civil society activists." "Such dialogue exists; it brings feasible results, and new organizations are welcome to join it," Ramzan Kadyrov has concluded.

The HRC "Memorial" is also open for dialogue with the authorities of Chechnya, Oleg Orlov, head of the Centre, said on July 11.

"I can't understand why Mr Kadyrov's statements change by 180 degrees; but only recently he blamed us as nation's enemies; now he says that there are no threats. I can't guess about the reasons, but I can't but express my satisfaction. And if indeed Ramzan Kadyrov invites all human rights activists to dialogue, the 'Memorial' is always open for it," the "Echo Moskvy" Radio quotes Mr Orlov.