President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that Russia had human rights problems that needed attention, but said the country had made progress during the last 10 to 15 years.
He spoke during a meeting with the human rights commissioner of the Council of Europe, Alvaro Gil-Robles, who presented Putin with the group's rights report on Russia.
The report by the continent's top rights watchdog, which was issued last month, urges Russia to abolish the death penalty, combat police violence and safeguard minority rights, particularly in Chechnya. It also calls on Moscow to improve prison conditions, guarantee full freedom of expression and strengthen the independence of the judiciary.
