OSCE Chairman welcomes Russia's suspension of extraditions of refugees, praises Kazakhstan for positive steps

BRUSSELS, 16 August 2006 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, today said he was pleased by Russia's decision to suspend the extradition of 12 refugees and an asylum-seeker to Uzbekistan following a ruling by the European Court for Human Rights.

"I welcome Russia's decision to suspend the extradition of the 13 and encourage the authorities to continue working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to find a lasting solution for them," the Chairman said.

"As I cautioned last week, extraditing the 13 would endanger their well-being."

The Chairman-in-Office also praised Kazakhstan for its decision to hand over an Uzbek refugee to UNHCR for resettlement.

"I welcome Kazakhstan's close co-operation with UNHCR in resolving this case and encourage the Government to continue working closely with the UN to resolve all cases," he said.