"Within the framework of my meeting with Justice Minister Yuri Chaika, I was told I could visit any Russian jail if it was necessary for my report," he told a Moscow press conference on Thursday.
Russian Justice Minister Yuri Chaika "told me at the meeting that all jails are at your disposal," noted Gil Robles.
In his words, he faces one problem now - the problem of choosing the jail to visit.
Answering western journalists' question about the possibility to visit the former CEO of Yukos, Mikhail Khodorkovsky in jail, Gil Robles said that his "mandate bans me from dealing with individual requests." He said the Commissioner is to deal with general problems.
"I can't deal with the case of one man," he stressed.
Gil Robles noted positive tendencies in the human rights sphere in Chechnya at the press conference, though he said there were some violations too.
In the words of the CE Commissioner, Chechnya "will interest the Council of Europe and the Human Rights Commissioner until human rights abuses continue." "Chechnya needs to be restored, the republic suffers from the aftermath of the war and violence," Gil Robles stressed.
In this connection the Commissioner noted that the CE "feels its responsibility to monitor the situation in Chechnya and help restore it." "This position is not extraordinary, it is part of the Council of Europe mandate," Gil Robles said.
He said that if necessary, he was ready to visit Chechnya.
Gil Robles denied accusations of a biased nature of statements on Chechnya. In the Commissioner's words, if he sees the problem, he speaks about it.
The Commissioner explained that, speaking about the positive changes in Chechnya, he meant first of all that an end was put to mopping up operations.
"Some, even very difficult problems, disappeared in Chechnya or are in positive dynamics," the Commissioner stressed.
Answering journalists' questions, Gil Robles also said that those guilty of human rights abuse in Iraqi prisons must be brought to account.
"It's necessary to find out exactly what was going on in Iraqi prisons and bring those guilty to account," he said.
Gil Robles said those human rights violations that took place in Iraq were made against a background of the operation that "was called upon to defend western values." "One can't forget about unacceptable human rights violations at the military base in Guantanamo (American base in Cuba where prisoners, mostly Afghan Taliban, are kept). A lot of actions were made that the U.S. authorities must think about," Gil Robles said.
The CE human rights commissioner said this issue was not in his competence, as the U.S. is not a European country.
"But it seems to me that human rights are universal, and I am not going to keep silent when they are infringed," Gil Robles stressed.
At the Moscow press conference, he also said that he was concerned about the tendency toward restriction of human rights in European countries in connection with the fight against terrorism.
"I am very concerned about this tendency that exists in most European countries. Due to the fight against terrorism, there is a tendency toward restriction of human rights under the pretext of fight for security," said the commissioner. He believes this tendency "must be stopped." "We can't fight against terrorism sacrificing our fundamental principles," Gil Robles said.
He also said he would pay another visit to Russia in July.
"In July I will work in Russia, will visit different cities and regions to talk to representatives of federal and local bodies of authority," Gil Robles said Thursday at a Moscow press conference.
However, the Commissioner did not specify what establishments he was going to visit.
Gil Robles said he would arrive in Russia to continue work on the report on the human rights situation in the country. He said he would submit the full report to the Council of Europe by late October-early November.
Gil Robles said he had visited Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden and planned to visit Croatia, Italy, the U.K. and Spain to draw up such reports.
