Statement of Meeting of
Human Rights House Network
Moscow, January 17, 2003
We, participants of the annual meeting of the Human Rights Houses Network, representatives
of human rights organizations of Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Croatia, Kenya, Norway, Poland, Russia, express our deep concern about mass violations
of human rights and humanitarian law in Chechnya and the situation of internally
displaced persons from Chechnya, especially the campaign on forcing refugees out
of Ingushetia.
In Chechnya today, civilians continue to perish and disappear, and torture, violence
and marauding have become part of everyday life. These blatant violations
of human rights take place primarily in the course of so-called “zachiski
[mop-up operations]. Only within the period from May to September 2002, according
to the data of Human Rights Center “Memorial , four such mop up operations
were carried out in Chechen settlements Mesker-Yurt, Chechen- Aul, Tevzeni and
Tzotzin-Yurt, as a result of which a number of civilians perished and disappeared
in three of these settlements. In all cases, multiple incidents of cruel and degrading
treatment and marauding took place. Order No. 80 dated March 27, 2002, of the
Force Commander Lieutenant-General V.Moltensky, which stipulates strict procedural
rules for the implementation of special operations, is basically ignored by federal
forces. Civilians also die in the course of subversive acts by Chechen combatants
aimed at federal forces. However, one crime does not justify another.
We are concerned not only with the situation of civilians in Chechnya. According
to the estimates of Union of Soldier Mothers Committees of Russia, over 20 thousand
militaries have been killed or are missing as the result of this armed conflict.
85% of federal forces losses are servicemen by conscription. In our opinion, it
is impermissible to use conscripts in Chechnya. In fact, 18-year old boys are
sent to the conflict zone to be killed or become killers. Tese people have no
awareness of the international humanitarian law provisions. In Chechnya,
they learn brutality, arbitrariness and become convinced of their impunity. Having
served in Chechnya, the former military, especially police officers, bring the
same impermissible practices into peaceful life. Most of them need psychological
rehabilitation and medical aid, but the state does not take adequate measures
on rendering such aid.
After tragic events in Moscow in late October, the Russian Federation leadership
declare that negotiations are absolutely impossible and propose to hold the referendum
on Chechnya Constitution as the only panacea. We think that under the conditions
of continued armed conflict, presence of federal forces, ongoing instability
in Chechnya and large numbers of refugees it is impossible to ensure the free
expression of Chechen people s will. By now, there is already some evidence of
violations in collecting signatures in support of the referendum. And it is practically
impossible to secure the safety of observers supervising the voting under such
conditions.
We voice our protest against closing the OSCE mission in Chechnya, which
was the only permanent international mission in the Republic.
We are indignant at the campaign conducted in the 2nd half of 2002 with the aim
of driving the refugees out of Ingushetia back to Chechnya. We are certain that
the refugees return to Chechnya is possible only on a voluntary basis and provided
that their safety is effectually ensured and adequate social infrastructure is
in place.
We think that the federal authorities information policies expressed in
strict filtration of the information coming from Chechnya, propaganda support
of federal forces actions, focusing the public attention both in Russia
and abroad on allegedly active establishment of peaceful life and recovery
of social infrastructure is absolutely unacceptable. The Russian and international
community must receive reliable information on the situation in the Republic
and on that of the Chechen refugees.