Russian press shrugs off 'emotional' Robinson

Russia's media have dismissed warnings by UN human rights chief Mary Robinson made during her tour of the North Caucasus.

Echoing the anger directed at Mrs Robinson by officials in Moscow, one Russian newspaper described her assessment of the situation in Chechnya as "emotional".

Kommersant newspaper said: "Her extraordinary impressionability is well known, so that after visiting the devastated city of Grozny she is unlikely to deliver a verdict favourable to Russia."

Robinson's emotional judgements on Chechnya have always provoked unconcealed irritation in Russia

Kommersant

As Mrs Robinson began her visit to the region, "the worst fears of the Russian leadership were confirmed almost at once", the paper said.

"Even before travelling, she stated that Russia should recognise the existence of human rights violations in Chechnya."

Snubbed

Vladimir Putin may "try to soften the position of the frenzied lady commissioner" by agreeing to meet her during before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe meets, Kommersant added.

But in a measure of Russia's anger at the UN envoy, President-elect Putin snubbed Mrs Robinson by refusing to meet her.

"Mary Robinson's emotional judgements about the events in Chechnya have always provoked unconcealed irritation in Russia," Kommersant said.

Looking ahead, other Russian newspapers have judged that Russia will be spared any harsh sanctions at the Council of Europe assembly in Strasbourg this week.

Probation period

"They will chide us but grant us another period of probation", a headline in the liberal Izvestia said. "Russian diplomats are quite optimistic. The election of the new president is bound to have an effect... as the West is concerned to establish constructive business relations with Vladimir Putin."

Trud newspaper commented: "No-one has any doubt that Russian policy in the North Caucasus will be torn to shreds by the forces in the European parliament... But there is hardly anybody who would want to damage relations with Russia's new president."

"The worst that can happen is that Moscow will get fresh warnings but then the decision on Chechnya will be postponed until the summer session," Trud argued.

Russia's rights' ombudsman backed Mrs Robinson

Only the liberal Segodnya disagreed with the mood of optimism. "The supporters of sanctions against Russia are well prepared," the paper warned.

The possible arrival of a Chechen delegation to take part in the Strasbourg session does not augur well for any mild decision from Europe over Chechnya, it said.

Shortcomings and violations

Russia's own human rights ombudsman, Oleg Mironov, told Russian NTV's Hero of the Day television programme that Mrs Robinson had been right to criticise Russia's record in Chechnya.

The whole point of a human rights commissioner is to see shortcomings and violations and report them to the authorities

Oleg Mironov

"I would advise our senior officials to refrain from giving their opinions on her visit or what she might say in the future. I think it is rather tactless to comment on something that has not yet happened."

"The whole point of a human rights commissioner, and of a human rights envoy, is to see shortcomings and violations and report them to the authorities. We should not try to wish away things that we do not like," Mr Mironov told NTV.

BBC Monitoring (http://www.monitor.bbc.co.uk), based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.