A/HRC/4/41 page 74 355. No reply was received from the Government regarding this general allegation. Request for a visit 356. The Working Group has proposed September 2007 for a country visit to the Russian Federation, following prior agreement in principle by the Government to the visit. Summary of the situation prior to the period under review 357. A large number of the cases transmitted in the past concerned persons of ethnic Ingush origin who allegedly disappeared in 1992, in the context of fighting in the Northern Caucasus. The majority of the remaining cases were reported to have occurred in the Republic of Chechnya, primarily since 1994, in the context of the conflict there. The disappearances were alleged to have been carried out by Russian armed and security forces. Twenty-seven of the cases occurred between September 2004 and April 2005 in various locations such as Argun, Grozny and Koren-Benoj. Among the persons who disappeared were the relatives of the former President of the Republic of Chechnya, a 15-year-old child and the leader of the NGO called Let’s Save the Generation. Total cases transmitted, clarified and outstanding 358. In the past and during the period under review, the Working Group has transmitted 465 cases to the Government; of those, 10 cases have been clarified on the basis of information provided by the source, 1 case has been clarified on the basis of information provided by the Government and 5 were found to be duplications by the Working Group, leaving 454 cases outstanding. Observations 359. The Working Group is deeply concerned about the new cases that continue to occur in the Russian Federation. The Working Group encourages the Government to respond to its general allegation letter (see paragraph 353) and to take steps to clarify outstanding cases, including the large number of unresolved cases arising from the conflicts in the Northern Caucasus. The Working Group reiterates to the Government its obligation under the Declaration to prevent and to terminate all acts of enforced disappearance and to prosecute alleged perpetrators. 360. The Working Group welcomes the invitation by the Government of the Russian Federation to the Working Group to conduct a country visit, and looks forward to finalizing dates as soon as possible. 361. The Working Group continues to be concerned about suspension of investigations in disappearance cases and wishes to remind the Government of its obligations to conduct thorough and impartial investigations “for as long as the fate of the victim of enforced disappearance remains unclarified”, in accordance with article 13, paragraph 6, of the Declaration.