SRChF/CP: Press release No. 366 (various reports)

INFORMATION CENTER OF THE SOCIETY OF RUSSIAN-CHECHEN FRIENDSHIP

Press release No. 366, February 28, 2003

False start in Gudermes: Kadyrov has begun his election campaign.

In Grozny on the territory of former KGB building excavation work is carried on.

A resident of the village Kirov was kidnapped.

A resident of the village Alkhan-Kaly was subject to torture.

A body of well-known Chechen commander’ sister was found.

Relatives of missing people ask for help.

Report from the Chechen Republic

Gudermes district

False start in Gudermes: Kadyrov has begun his election campaign

On February 6, 2003 the head of Chechen administration Akhmad Kadyrov met with imams of Gudermes district. They discussed the questions connected with the anniversary of Chechen deportation in 1944 to Kazakhstan Republic and other regions of the former Soviet Union and also the problem of the coming referendum. He accused Chechen people of all hardships including the deportation. He denounced Maskhadov and radical Islamizes, and sometimes used lexis inadmissible by highland ethics. It was clear that his speech was assigned for interior usage. He described his own actions very expressively and cursed federal forces. He said he was not sorry that during the first Chechen war, being republican mufti, he declared “sacred war” against Russia and Russian people. For several times Kadyrov’s philippics were interrupted by long applause. Rapturous listeners, including the head of Gudermes district, proposed Kadyrov as candidate for Chechen president. Everybody understands that all participants of the meeting consider the results of the coming referendum on Chechen constitution. Absence of pro-Russian election law is not an obstacle for bootlickers. If there is a person, the law will be written.

(From our correspondent.).

Grozny

In Grozny on the territory of former KGB building excavation work is carried on

In Grozny on the crossroad of Revolution avenue and Rabochikh street 300 meters far from the railway station on the territory of the former KGB building surrounded by concrete fence and barbed wire excavation work is carried on day and night. the object is guarded by members of Russian federal forces. If compared with other buildings under reconstruction, restoration work here goes on a grand scale. Local residents haven’t been informed about the what is being erected. That caused rumors among the population that they build an underground prison to torture and shoot Chechens.

(From our correspondent.).

A resident of the village Kirov was kidnapped

The resident of the village Kirov of Zavodsky district of Grozny Isa (asked not to disclose his surname) used to drive his new car “Niva” through the blockpost situated at the entrance of the village. But recently soldiers from the blockpost have got interested in his automobile. As it became known to our correspondent, servicemen asked Isa to sell them the car but he refused.

In Chechnya even a child knows that if a soldier comes with some “need” and goes away without “the needed”, he won’t make you wait for long – next time he will come and seize what he wants.

That was a case with Isa. On February 16, 2003 he was stopped at the blockpost. At that time his friend Said was inside the automobile. Isa’s neighbor who had passed the post successfully suspected something and informed the relatives. The latter tried to find the man but failed and had to address to village and district law-enforcement structures with an appeal of illegal detention. Soldiers from the blockpost denied their being involved in the accident. To the relatives’ joy, on February 20 Isa and Said were discovered tied in the well on the outskirts of the village. According to the victims, they had been subject to cruel torture on the side of Russian soldiers. As far as the car is concerned, Isa had to p[art with it.

(From our correspondent.).

Grozny village district

A resident of the village Alkhan-Kaly was subject to torture

On February 17, 2003 resident of the village Alkhan-Kali Muslim Yakubov was captured by Russian soldiers in his own house and driven away in the unknown direction. On the third day after detention he was found beaten in the suburbs of the village. According to the relatives of the man, Muslim had been subject to torture and after that thrown from the car.

(From our correspondent.).


Urus-Martan district

A body of well-known Chechen commander’ sister was found

Not far from the town Urus-Martan in the forest local residents found a female corpse. According to them, a car “Niva” drove into the forest, then a sound of explosion was heard and in some time the automobile disappeared in the unknown direction. Residents hardly managed to identify the killed woman. It was Mrs. Tsagareva, the sister of a well-known field commander Magomed Tsagarev who died in 2002.

(From our correspondent.).

Documents

Relatives of Gelkhaev Yunadi Balaudinovich kidnapped by Russian soldiers appealed to SRCF information centre with a request for help.

To the head of the SRCF regional department MHG coordinator in the Chechen Republic I, A, Ezheev from Gelkhaeva Madinat Balaudinovna address: Chechnya, town Urus-Martan, 16 Mikoyan St.

Application

On November 11, 2002 my brother Gelkhaev Yunadi Balaudinovich, born in 1971, was detained by armed people in camouflage when he was repairing the executive car. Three other men were also detained with him, but one of them was released practically immediately. He informed the relatives about the accident.

We know that Yunadi was delivered to VOVD (Interior Affairs Temporary Department) and put into the 4th cell. But officials did not confirm this information.  We appealed with a request for help to all official law-enforcement structures and searched ourselves.

On November 14, 2002 several strangers came to us on behalf of Gadzhiev, Urus-Martan district military commandant. They said they knew where he was and could bring him back. On November 23, 2002 Yunadi must have been at home. But we lost the contact because of the commandant’s death. Perhaps he really possessed some information about my brother.

We addressed to the investigator of Yrus-Martan district procurator’s office informing him about these facts. But he wouldn’t react.

My father couldn’t bare his son’s disappearance and died in November 2002 after a serious illness. My mother’s health also leaves much to be desired.

I appeal to you with a request to render help in the search of my brother Gelkhaev Yunadi Balaudinovich (1971) who was detained in Urus-Martan on November 11, 2002.

February 7, 2003 (M,B. Gelkhaeva)

(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_2003/01/2.htm