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IntMin declines criticism of its stance on Chechen refugees PRAGUE, Jan 30 (CTK) - The Czech authorities decline the criticism of their approach to Chechen refugees, whose influx to the Czech Republic largely increased last year, Interior Ministry asylum and migration policy section head Tomas Haisman told CTK today. Haimsan said that the Czech authorities had acted in compliance with the law as in the case of other asylum seekers. The Interior Ministry has also concluded that Chechen migration is probably organised from the Russian Federation and most of these refugees evidently do not intend to stay in the Czech Republic. Though Chechens seek asylum there, they do not wait for the decision on it and leave for west European countries via Austria, Haisman explained. On Monday, some activists staged a protest outside the Interior Ministry headquarters to help a group of 60 rejected asylum applicants from Chechnya. These refugees applied for Czech asylum last September. However, at the turn of October and November, they left for Austria as they allegedly heard that they had a low chance to be granted asylum in the Czech Republic. Police detained them at the border near Ceske Velenice, south Bohemia. Under the law, their asylum proceedings were interrupted. Haisman added that a person crossing the border has no interest in the protection of the Czech Republic. In case of this particular group of Chechens, there are remedial measures for their asylum proceedings. Complaints have been lodged with the Regional Court and then a special complaint can be filed before the proceeding on their expulsion, Haisman informed. Each case must be judged separately, he added. "The Czech Republic does not expel Chechens and does not intend to expel anybody," he said. A number of humanitarian organisation have assessed the situation within human rights in Chechnya as disastrous. A higher number of Chechens started to flow into the Czech Republic from Poland last April. According to the Interior Ministry, the Czech Republic is, however, often not the final destination for them as they mostly head for Belgium, Britain or France. "That is why it has sometimes happened that Chechen applicants did not take over the Interior Ministry decisions on granting asylum to them, " Haisman said. Last year, over 4,500 Chechens applied for asylum in the Czech Republic, but 3,500 of them left the asylum facilities earlier out of their own will. Out of a total of 208 Czech asylums granted last year, 39 were issued to people of Chechen origin. According to the ministry data, most Chechen asylum seekers do not stay on Czech territory longer than two months.
31.1.2004 Purges in Chechnya continue CHECHNYA. The so-called ‘targeted purges’ have continued in differentareas of Chechnya, during which Russian military and officials ofvarious security organs have arrested tens of people, many of whom havegone missing. According to NGOs Council’s information, in the last fewdays such purges have taken place in Nozhai-Yurtovskiy, Itoum-Kalnskiyand Vedenskiy districts of Chechnya. Tens of civilians have beenarrested; their whereabouts are yet unknown. Since 28 January security organs officials have carried out alarge-scale ‘special operation’ in the village of Aleroi inKourchaloyevskiy District. According to the information given byresidents of nearby villages, all the entrances and exits out of Aleroihave been blocked by the military and armoured vehicles. Members ofsecurity organs carry out general searches in the village locals’houses; they also check all the local residents’ documents. Chechen militia officers also take part in the operation. There has beenyet no information about the number of local residents missing orarrested in the course of the purge. The full information will only beavailable after the blockade around the village has been lifted. Also, on 28 January, in the town of Shali, Russian military arrested Mr.Taghirov, local resident born in 1969. According to the man’sneighbours, the military in masks and camouflage uniforms broke insideTaghirov’s house at dawn and took him away in the unknown directionwithout giving any explanations. Later his family found out that he waskept in a remand prison. The reason for the man’s arrest is unknown. 19 January in the village of Assinovskaya in Sounzhenskiy District inChechnya, Russian security organs officials arrested and took away ayoung girl. Today she has been named — it was 20-year-old Rosa Moutaeva.Her whereabouts are to-date unknown.
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