ABSTRACT
The war in the breakaway republic of Chechnya was the most dramatic period of Kovalyov’s turbulent career. Like so many of his colleagues, he was shocked by the Russian attack on Grozny in November 1994. His first year as Chairman of the Presidential Human Rights Commission had seen him struggle to adapt to the customs and demands of the Presidential Administration, and kept his attention firmly fixed on events in the capital. Events in Chechnya forced new and unexpected challenges upon him, forcing him to bear witness to a cruel campaign against the breakaway republic and take a public stand against the inordinate violence of the Russian troops and forces of the MVD.
