Arbitrary detentions of Chechen refugees in Nazran. Detained refugees were offered to pay ransom for their release. A wife of a refugee abducted by the force structures appeals for help.

Arbitrary detentions of Chechen refugees in Nazran

On October 6, 2003 at 5 am, at the site of compact settlement "Dairy Farm -1" of Nasyr-Kort settlement of Nazran town, the Ingush Republic, representatives of the local police in cooperation with the force structures of the Russian Federation carried out arbitrary detentions among Chechen refugees. Several people were detained there. Detentions were accompanied with violent non-motivated beatings.

Masked members of the force structures burst into rooms of forced migrants, didn't explain anything and started beating them with butts. They broke the door open, hit an elderly woman who came out to meet the uninvited guests with a butt, and beat with gun butts and legs and then detained an invalid Usmanov Ibraguim. Salguiraev Akhmed (born in 1961) was also beaten unmercifully in his four children's presence but the servicemen didn't detain him.

It should be noted that two weeks ago seven other people were beaten and detained in a similar way at the same site of compact settlement. Later, all of them were released without any accusations (see our release № 528 from September 22, 2003). Two of the refugees detained on October 6 were among those seven ones. So there is no logic in the actions of the force structures: if the detainees had been suspected of breaking the law, they wouldn't have been released. At least, they would have given a written undertaking not to leave a place of their residence. In this connection all the refugees are solid in their opinion that the night attack at "Dairy Farm -1" was a deterrent action aimed at making the forced migrants leave for Chechnya. The atmosphere of terror is a way to achieve it.

Detained refugees were offered to pay ransom for their release

On October 5, 2003 representatives of the Interior Affairs Ministry of Ingushetia detained two forced migrants who were going from Sleptsovsakaya settlement to Karabulak town on a "Gazel" route taxi. According to the detainees, they were freed the same day after they had paid the ransom.

One of the detainees, a twenty-nine-year-old Ayub (he asked not to reveal his surname), a native of Dyshni-Vedeno village of Vedeno district, the Chechen Republic, told that the route taxi was stopped by the road police at the checkpoint situated at the entrance to Karabulak town. One of the policemen asked, "Are there any Chechens?" They made Ayub and a girl, Zaira by name, (she also asked not to mention her surname) to get out of the bus. They were taken to the police office of Karabulak town. According to Ayub, the policemen behaved in a very rude manner. They checked both of them in their database whether they were involved into anything criminal and then one of the police officers told them, "If you want to get freedom, it will cost you a thousand rubles per person". Ayub told that they had given him half an hour to bring the money to the police office. He managed to collect some six hundred rubles for this period of time. When he came to the police office the policemen agreed unwillingly to set him free. When he returned to the police office, the girl was not there.

This story has an interesting continuation connected with Zaira's fate. One young man is going to emigrate from Russia and he had been seeking Zaira's attention for quite a time. After that incident she agreed to get married to him all of a sudden. They got married the same evening. So the consequences of meeting the police are not necessarily sad. The bridegroom's relatives, at least, expressed their gratitude to avid arms of the law.

A wife of a refugee abducted by the force structures seeks help

A refugee from the Chechen Republic Oligova Aset Mukhtievna (born in 1970), who is temporarily living in Ingushetia, applied to the Ingush office of the Society for the Russian-Chechen Friendship with a request to help her to release her husband who had been arbitrarily detained.

According to her, on September 21, 2003 at 5 am, her husband Khamidov Khusein Saipievich (born in 1960) was detained and taken in an unknown direction by masked people in camouflage in Malgobek town, the Ingush Republic, on the territory of the "ORS-Harmony" site of compact settlement. She opened the door to representatives of the force structures as she got afraid that they would break it open. Masked people in camouflage burst into the house and started kicking and beating her husband with gun butts without any explanations. She lost consciousness when she was watching it. When Aset Oligova came round, she saw neither her husband nor the servicemen in her house. Four days later representatives of the militia structures took her to Nazran town militia office. She was told there that her husband was accused of illegal weapon trade. Oligova Aset says that she was made to sign some explanatory note that had been written by employees of Department 6 of Nazran militia office Evloev Minkail and Khamkhoev Ruslan. They didn't even let her read it. She appealed to Malgobek town prosecutor's office. But the public prosecutor told her he wouldn't be able to take her appeal unless she brought the reference from the Federal Security Agency department in Magas town that she wasn't involved into any crimes. She made a complaint to the Federal Security Service department. And a representative of this service, Vasily by name, answered her that there was nothing to worry about for her and that they would send all the documents by themselves.

So, representatives of the force structures took advantage of the law ignorance of the woman and didn't let her notify the prosecutor's office about the illegal actions of representatives of the force structures both against her and her husband. "There has been no information about my husband for thirteen days. He might have died and they don't tell me anything!" Oligova says weeping. Aset and her husband are disabled people. They are ill with tuberculosis and they have been registered on the books at Nazran T.B. prophylactic centre for a long time. Oligova was operated on and one of her lungs was ablated. Besides, she is in her six month of pregnancy. Her husband is ill with schizophrenia. "I don't know what we have done!" Aset Oligova said. According to her, her husband has never been involved into any criminal activities and hasn't participated in the armed Resistance to the federal forces either.

The attachment: Oligova's appeal to the SRCF

To the leader of regional branch Of the Society for the Russian-Chechen Friendship To the regional coordinator of the Moscow Helsinki Group over the Chechen Republic Ezheev I.A.

Appeal

I, Oligova Aset Mukhtievna, born in 1970, ask You to help me in a search for my husband Khamidov Khusein Saypievich, born in 1960, a second group invalid who is ill with schizophrenia. On September 21, 2003, unknown people in masks and camouflage took him from the site of compact settlement "ORS-Harmony" situated in Malgobek. My husband and I have been living in the above-mentioned refugee settlement as forced migrants. Before the war we lived in the Chechen Republic, in Lenin district of Grozny, at 14, Sheripov Street. My husband was severely beaten during his detention and I am afraid that he won't endure such tortures. My husband Khamidov Khusein Saypievich has been living in Ingushetia together with me since the beginning of this war and he hasn't been involved into any criminal activities. As for me, I, Oligova Aset Mukhtievna, am also a second group invalid. My husband and I are registered at Nazran T.B. prophylactic centre and both of us used to go there every ten days to get the necessary medicines from our doctor in charge Leila Torsikhoeva. Four days after my husband had been detained representatives of Department 6 of Nazran town militia office took me there. Evloev Minkail and Khamkhoev Ruslan wrote some explanatory note and made me sign it. I don't know what was written in that explanatory note as they didn't let me read it. I appealed to the public prosecutor's office of Malgobek and the Federal Security Service branch situated in Magas. It has been thirteen days since my husband was detained and I have not got any information about his whereabouts so far.

I beg You to assist me in the search for my husband.

Press release No. 538 - The Chechenpress

Sunday, 12 October 2003

The Chairman of the Moscow Helsinki Group L.Akekseeva and Executive Director T.Lokshina about the "presidential elections" in Chechnya: the monitoring trip results.

The ongoing armed conflict, gross violations of human rights and freedoms make the human rights groups focus their attention on the events taking place in the Chechen Republic.

It was obvious to the human rights groups working out their position with regard to the 5 October elections of the President of the Chechen Republic, that under the circumstances of military conflict it is impossible to hold free elections in accordance with the international rules. The reports about gross violations of electoral law, mass use of administrative resource, the facts of violence committed against the representatives and candidates for the presidency, being in opposition to A.kadyrov, impelled us to carry out an active monitoring of the election campaign. Yet, we had a faint hope that the elections would be partly competitive giving the residents of Chechnya a certain chance to enjoy their right and take part in forming of the republican bodies of authority and, thus, contribute to the stabilization of the situation in the republic.

The events early in September, however, have dispelled our illusions with regard to the forthcoming elections. As a matter of fact, one candidate only is imposed on the voters. Other serious candidates, able to compete with him, have been given the push. Such a scenario of the election campaign is not new in Russia (suffice is to mention Yakutia, Kursky Oblast, Primorye, and at last, Ingushetia), but Chechnya differs from any subject of the RF. The elections here were intended as a step taken forward to achieve peace. And the will of the citizens, even though restricted on the basis of loyalty to the Russian authorities, was of principal importance.

It is obvious that no resolution to the Chechen conflict can be achieved by the use of force. Even the federal authorities adhere to the opinion that political regulation is the only way out. But present elections offer not the ghost of a chance of success, as the president elected in this way will never be legitimated by the Chechen people. No wonder that the forces of the acting President of Chechnya has increased in number from 1,5 to 3 thousand bayonets.

Taking into consideration the specificity of the presidential elections in Chechnya, the escalation of violence in the republic and violations of human rights and humanitarian law, against the background of which the so-called election campaign is held, we consider our civic duty to observe all that is happening before the voting day and, at the least, in the first week following the election. The monitoring is necessary, as the absence of competitors increases the probability of impunity. By monitoring the process, we hope to obtain necessary information about the events taking place since August, to form a clear picture of holding the elections under the circumstances of military conflict, and present it to the international community.

Thus, we are starting an informational campaign. From 22 September, an electronic bulletin will be issued twice a week, dealing with the course of events of the election campaign, based on the data of the federal, Chechen mass media and the information obtained from the local non-governmental organizations. The bulletin will come out in Russian and English. We appreciate the support of the Network of Human Rights Organizations Network and International Helsinki Federation. A summary report based on the monitoring results will be issued at the end of November 2003. The English version of the report will be submitted to the PACE.

10.10.2003