The murdered Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya reported regularly on human rights abuses in Chechnya (AFP)
November 24, 2006 -- A UN human rights body says it has received consistent allegations of torture by Russian forces, including in secret detention centers in Chechnya.
The United Nations Committee Against Torture called on Russia to investigate and prosecute all allegations of torture, including hazing in the military, and report back in a year. It also called on Russia to reveal the locations of secret detention centers in Chechnya.
The UN forum is comprised of 10 independent experts and monitors compliance with a 1984 treaty banning torture and other degrading treatment.
The conclusions were issued at the end of a three-week meeting, during which the committee also examined the record of Tajikistan.
(Reuters, AFP, AP)