SRChF/CP: Press release No. 369 (various reports)

INFORMATION CENTER OF THE SOCIETY OF RUSSIAN-CHECHEN FRIENDSHIP

Press release No. 369, March 5, 2003

Organizers of referendum for Chechen Constitution are threatened.

Details of kidnappings in Grozny.

Relatives of missing people ask to assist in search.

Report from the Chechen Republic

Grozny

Organizers of referendum for Chechen Constitution are threatened

In spite of the fact that referendum for Chechen Constitution will be held in a few weeks, the work on its organization is going on at full speed, in particular, practically all polling stations are opened. However, under the invitation to take part in the coming referendum residents of the village Chernorechie have read that school No. 48 (where one of the polling stations is located) will be exploded, in case people come to vote.

(From our correspondent.).

Details of kidnappings in Grozny

Detained by Russian soldiers on February 16, 2003, residents of village Kirov of Zavodsky district of Grozny Isa Bitsaev (born in 1982) and Islam Kaimov (1980) (see press-release No. 366) in five days, on February 20, 2003, were found by militiamen who had to stop near the road to check the water level in radiator. Having heard groans coming from the hatch, the militiamen searched the place and discovered Islam Kaimov. In a very serious state he was delivered to the city hospital No. 9 where he received necessary medical aid. Islam spent one day in resuscitation unit, and in the evening for security purposes relatives drove him
home.

Isa Batsiev managed to run away on the day when Kaimov and he with their eyes tied were driven in the unknown direction and thrown into the hatch. Batsiev's relatives who live in the Leninsky district of Grozny helped him to get home. The place of location of the car "Niva" where the men were at the moment of detention is still unknown.

(From our correspondent.).

Urus-Martan district

Relatives of missing people ask to assist in search

On March 3, 2003 Salamat Mishaeva, who lives in the village Martan-Chu of Urus-Martan district in 6 Rechnaya St., appealed to the SRCF information centre with a request to help in search of her husband Mishaev Leoma Akhmatovich, born in 1952.

On February 16 at 02.00 a.m. federal forces representatives in masks and camouflage broke into Mishaev's house and took Leoma with them. On the
question of the woman, why they drive her husband away, one of the soldiers struck Salamat in the head with a rifle butt. The same night Mishaev's neighbor Bislan Saidaev, aged 30, was also detained.

Relatives of the illegally detained appealed to procurator's office, commandant's office, district administration, local ROVD (police station) and republican law-enforcement structures. However, no information has come about the location of the lost.

On March 3, 2003 Yakha Kunaeva from the village Alkhan-Yurt (13 Nuradilov St.) appealed to the SRCF information centre with analogous request.

According to her, on September 19, 2002 at 03.00 a.m. her relative Kunaev Ginadi Isaevich (born in 1978) was driven in APC by Russian soldiers towards Grozny. Before May 2002 the man had lived in Ingushetia and never been involved in the so called illegal armed formations. Relatives addressed to various law-enforcement structures and other state institutions but got no results.

(From our correspondent.).

Editor in chief Stanislav Dmitriyevsky.
Editor of this edition Oksana Bazhina.

This edition has been put out with the support of The National Endowment for Democracy, as part of their "Russian-Chechen Information Partnership".

http://www.chechenpress.info/english/news/03_2003/12/3.htm