Mr. S.Ivanov

Dear Mr. Ivanov,

On May 16, 2000, the delegation of the Russian Federation submitted to the UN Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations a letter of complaint insisting on withdrawal of TRP's consultative status to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOS) which it has possessed since 1995. The letter of complaint dated May 16, 2000, contains two charges against the TRP:

the first, that TRP violated Paragraph 57(a) of ECOSOC Resolution 1996/31 by accrediting for the work at 56th Session of the UN Comission on Human Rights and allowing Mr. Idigov, Chairman of the Comission for External Affairs of the Parliament of Chechen Republic, to speak on its behalf; by Mr. Idigov stating that he was a representative of President Maskhadov; and by the propagation, in TRP's statement delivered by Mr. Idigov, of ideas that are completely incompatible with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations;

the second, that TRP violated Paragraph 57(b) of ECOSOC Resolution 1996/31 by undertaking an anti-prohibitionist campaign for the legalization of prohibited drugs.

The relevant provisions of the Paragraph 57(a) of ECOSOC Resolution 1996/31 establish that the consultative status of non-governmental organizations with the ECOSOS shall be suspended or withdrawn in the following cases:

(a) if an organization, either directly or through its affiliates or representatives acting on its behalf, clearly abuses its status by engaging in a pattern of acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations including unsubstantiated or politically motivated acts against Member States of the United Nations incompatible with those purposes and principles;

(b) if there exists substantiated evidence of influence from proceeds resulting from internationally recognized criminal activities such as the illicit drug trade, money laundering or the illegal arms trade.

During the course of the meeting of the Committee on the Non-Governmental Organizations, the delegation of the Russian Federation added two more allegations to the two formal charges made against the TRP, which were conveyed orally: the first allegation was that the TRP violated the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child; the second allegation was that the TRP is not an NGO but a political organisation.

Thus, it is the question of very serious charges which must be supported by forcible evidences. Meanwhile, untill now I am not aware neither from the TRP itself, nor from the letter of the Ministry for Foreign Affaires of the Russian Federation adddressed to the deputy S.A.Popov, dated 20.07.2000, signed by the deputy minister E.Gusarov, that the Ministry for Foreign Affaires of the Russian Federation cited at least one fact to prove the charges made against the TRP.

I request you to inform me what actual evidences does the Ministry for Foreign Affaires of the Russian Federation possess regarding at least one of the four charges made against the TRP.

Mr. Maskhadov is a legitimate president of Chechen Republic, elected during elections which were recognized legitimate by the OSCE and the Russian Federation. I am not aware of any statement of the Russian part changing its official position in respect of the presidential elections in Chechnya. Thus, the fact that Mr. A.Idigov, a representative of the legitimate government bodies of Chechen Republic was given the floor, can't be considered as the support to the terrorism.

I request you to inform me what particular statements in the text of the intervention of A.Idigov on behalf of the TRP are incompatible with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, which, as is generally known, enunciates the right of all the peoples, including the Chechen people, to self-determination.

As regards the TRP's campaign aimed at reform of today's prohibitionist policies, the activity of this organization, as proceeds from its statements, is aimed at countering the narcomafias, undermining its economic power proceeding from the illicity of certain substances which owing to that are under complete control of narcomafias. This position may be disputable, but it has the right to exist and to be defended. As regards the so-called "distribution" of light drugs by the TRP's activists, it is the question of public actions aimed at drawing public attention to the significance of anti-prohibitionist proposals and initiatives of the TRP.

I request you to inform me whether the Ministry for Foreign Affaires of the Russian Federation possesses proofs that the anti-prohibitionist position of the TRP is financed from the narcomafias.

As regards the allegation that the TRP violated the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, I urgently request you to inform me what particular principles and provisions of the Convention did the TRP violate and how exactly did the TRP violate them.

In case of the absence of such evidences, I ask you to inform me also whether you think or not that the charges against the TRP, put forward by the Ministry for Foreign Affaires of the Russian Federation, must be considered as proofless and unsubstantiated, and oficially recalled without delay not later than October 18, this year, when the ECOSOS at its meeting will take a final decision regarding TRP's consultative status?

Taking into consideration the urgency of the raised questions, I request you to give me your answer within five days.

Sincerely yours,

Deputy of the State duma Yu.A.Rybakov