Swiss, Chechen human rights activists meet in Ingushetia

Swiss human rights activists met with their Chechen colleagues in the Ingush town of Nazran on June 9 and discussed the preparation and holding of the Chechen Civil Society Forum. The organizers of the conference, the Swiss Society for Threatened Peoples and German human rights circles, believe that today, when the split among the Chechen people is becoming deeper, the problem of consolidating Chechen society is acute and topical as never before.

"Human rights circles in the West are inclined to think that Chechenization of the conflict in Chechnya has taken place lately. Different political trends, which come into conflict with each other more and more often, split society. Civil dialogue between different representatives of the Chechen people is needed today," a representative of the Society for Threatened Peoples said to the Caucasian Knot correspondent. She holds the task of Western non-governmental organizations lies in developing the human rights movement and giving comprehensive support to the human rights organizations in Chechnya.

Over 20 representatives of Chechen human rights organizations and pubic movements attended the conference. Participants agreed on the further coordination of actions between Western and local human rights activists in the field of human rights protections.