Russia was again criticized by European MPs during today's debates at the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the situation in Northern Caucasus.

Dick Marti, representative of Switzerland, who initiated the debates on violence applied to residents, and murders of human rights activists, reminded about the death of human rights defender Natalia Estemirova and the whole series of other loud murders. The debates of this sort do not assume adoption of any resolution.

Dick Marti said that in summer he informed Natalia Estemirova that in September in Paris at the session of the PACE's legal commission important issues will be discussed. She responded with an SMS that she would take part in the session; however, quite soon the news of her kidnapping and murder came.

In his opinion, Anna Politkovskaya, observer of the "Novaya Gazeta", Natalia Estemirova and others were assassinated with the aim to hide the truth. The "Interfax" reports that Mr Marti has reminded that the executers of these loud crimes are still unpunished.

The next speaker - Ulias Umakhanov, a member of the Russian delegation and Senator from Dagestan, - has agreed that "Northern Caucasus sees an escalation of violence".

"During the passed summer three republics - Dagestan, Chechnya and Ingushetia - doubled their count of murdered and wounded employees of law enforcement bodies as compared with last year," said Mr Umakhanov.

The Russian representative has recognized that among other problems there is also an acute issue of murders of human rights activists, which are extremely hard to solve, as witnesses are afraid to evidence.

In his turn, Thomas Hammarberg, former Commissioner of the Council of Europe for Human Rights, recollected that during his visits to North-Caucasian republics he was often approached by women with complaints on kidnappings and murders of their relatives.

Representative of the Netherlands Тini Koks has noted that mass unemployment and poverty of residents of Northern Caucasus are causing crime growth in many aspects.

Source: Caucasian Knot