Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, is visiting the Republic to assess progress made on human rights over the past year.

Below is an article published by RIA Novosti:

The Council of Europe's human rights chief arrived in Chechnya on a three-day working visit on Monday [21 April 2008] to assess the situation in the southern Russian republic.

"I visited your republic over a year ago, and I have heard much of positive changes in the human rights sphere over the time. The goal of my visit is to make sure of this progress in person," Thomas Hammarberg told the press at Grozny airport.

During his visit Hammarberg will meet with Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, local human rights ombudsman Nurdi Nukhazhiyev and non-governmental groups.

He said he would also meet with members of the public to get an objective assessment of the human rights situation in the republic.

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