Chechnya's brutal President Ramzan Kadyrov will fail the Australian character test in section 501 of the Migration Act if he tries to get a visa for the Melbourne Cup Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"Mr Kadyrov, who presides over torture and international assassination, will fail on a number of grounds including:

a person will fail a character test where:

• they have, or have had, an association with an individual, group or organisation suspected of having been, or being, involved in criminal conduct
• having regard to the person's past and present criminal conduct, the person is found not to be of good character
• having regard to the person's past and present general conduct, the person is found to be not of good character*," Senator Brown said.

"Mr Kadyrov has no criminal record as such because he runs the secret police. But his opponents have been gunned down at home and abroad - including assassinations in Vienna and Dubai in recent times."

"Neither he nor his horses should be let into Australia," Senator Brown said.

*three of the 'Character Test ' criteria - Department of Immigration and Citizenship

Media contact: Peter Stahel 0433 005 727