Louise Arbour, UN Commissioner for Human Rights has wrapped up her week-long visit to Russia at a press conference. She’s traveled through Russia’s southern republic of Chechnya and other parts of the North Caucasus with an inspection.
      
      On the one side, Arbour was pleased to see efforts at reconstruction in Chechnya and moves to establish a stable political system in the republic.
      
      The Kremlin leaders are against any talks with the terrorists and are waging a new war now – they are trying to undermine support for terrorists by introducing firm government and parliament.
      
      But Louise Arbour was outspoken: "Despite ongoing political and physical reconstruction, the republic has still not been able to move from a society ruled by force to one governed by the rule of law."
      
      The big concern is the methods used by the police and security forces headed by Chechen Deputy Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov and their role in kidnapping cases.
      
      "Two phenomena, in my view, are particularly disturbing. One is a prevalence of the use of torture to extract confessions and information. And the second one the intimidation of those who may complain against public officials," said Louise Arbour.
      
      "I think it's simply not credible to assume people in Chechnya just walk away from their lives at a greater rate than anywhere else in the world, without leaving any information about their destination."
      
      Louise Arbour's visit follows a resolution by PACE on the alarming human rights situation in Chechnya. The Chechen officials present at the PACE session said the resolution does not take into account new develepments and the government's efforts to shape a new republic.
      
      There have been no large-scale battles in the republic in the past time, but skirmishing and almost daily guerrilla land mine attacks continue.