Chechen president discusses human rights with EU official

Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov has held talks with the Council of Europe's commissioner for human rights.

GROZNY, September 9 (RIA Novosti) - Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov has held talks with the Council of Europe's commissioner for human rights, the presidential press service said on Wednesday.

It said the meeting took place late on Tuesday evening, after Thomas Hammarberg had arrived from Ingushetia.

Kadyrov briefed the commissioner on measures the republic's authorities were taking to establish the location of people who had gone missing in Chechnya.

He said the problem required a comprehensive approach, also observing that law enforcement agencies were working to prevent terrorist attacks and other grave crimes committed by militants.

A number of attacks have been carried out against human rights activists in Chechnya and Ingushetia.

The murder of respected human rights activist Natalya Estemirova in July caused international outrage. In a similar attack, Zarema Sadulayeva, the head of a children's charity in Chechnya, and her husband, Alik Dzhabrailov, were kidnapped and found dead in the trunk of their car on August 11. All three had been shot in the head and chest.

Hammarberg, who began his visit to Russia last week with a roundtable discussion in St. Petersburg with regional representatives on human rights, is also scheduled to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on September 10 in Moscow.