| NGOs Say
Rights Situation Worsening in Russia
Created: 11.06.2004 14:49 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 16:46 MSK, MosNews Former National Endowment for Democracy award winners say the situation with human rights and democracy is worsening in Russia, Voice of America reported after Thursday's ceremony. "Russia today is not democratic," Russian human rights activist Yelena Bonner was quoted as saying. "It does not intend, in the presence of its leadership, to become democratic." Bonner won the Endowment's Democracy Award in 1995 Ms. Bonner, who has continued to campaign for human rights in Russia, urged western countries to be wary of Russia's development and not accept flowery words, in the absence of concrete deeds that bring the country closer to democracy. "Illusions cannot change reality, and yet, that is exactly what is happening, the presence of illusions in the relationship between the West or the relationship of the West towards Russia," she said. Americans, meanwhile, remained wary of Russia's progress. After the awards presentation, Senator John McCain indicated that Congress sees what he described as a "rollback of democracy" in Russia. The senator accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to turn back the clock to the days of the old Soviet Union. "I think there's a clear ambition on the part of Mr. Putin to restore the near abroad of the old Soviet empire," he added. "And we should watch events in Belarus and Ukraine very carefully, in the upcoming weeks and months that lie ahead of us." Assistant Secretary of State Lorne Craner acknowledged that Russia has made progress, following the collapse of communism. "Recently, this pace [of progress] seems to be slowing," she was quoted as saying, "and regrettably, in some areas, Russia's human rights record has worsened. Secretary [Colin] Powell and senior U.S. officials continue to push with their Russian counterparts over human rights issues in Chechnya, increased restrictions on free media, the failure of December's parliamentary elections to meet international standards, the rule of law issues and growing government pressure on civil society organizations, including human rights NGOs." The NED's 2004 Democracy Award winners were Ludmila Alekseeva, a founder of the Moscow Helsinki Group that has emerged as Russia's leading human rights organization; Arseny Roginsky, chairman of the International Memorial Society that protects refugees and victims of political persecution; Aleksei Simonov, the president of the Glasnost Defense Foundation that defends the freedom of the press; and Mara Polyakova, the director of the Independent Council for Legal Expertise, which reviews legislation affecting basic rights and provides legal assistance in defense of those rights.
Young Slovak reported missing in Northern Caucasus Ruslan Isayev, Northern Caucasus - Miriam Yevikova, who worked for the Organisation for Aid to Refugees (OPU) in the Czech Republic, disappeared in the Northern Caucasus a week ago. Yevikova had allegedly spent a few days in the southern Russian town of Pyatigorsk; from her hotel she phoned friends in Nazran, asking them to meet her at the Ossetian-Ingush border. However, she did not show up there at the appointed time, yet they were receiving SMS messages from her. The Prague-based OPU, which does not have a mission in the Northern Caucasus, expressed grave concern about her as no information about her whereabouts has so far been received. Miriam Yevikova has repeatedly visited the Northern Caucasus; and as a native Slovak she worked for OPU and contributed to one of the Czech newspapers. In the Czech Republic she went in for problems of Chechen refugees. Prague Watchdog's staff contributed to this report.
Last refugees leave Satsita camp On June 10, representatives of the Russian Federal Migration Service and the Ingush Migration Department officially certified the closure of the Satsita camp, the last of the six largest tent camps for Chechen refugees on the territory of Ingushetia. The last three families left this tent camp, situated on the outskirts of the Ordzhonikidzevskaya village, that day. "The majority of the camp inhabitants have returned to Chechnya, where they will get compensations for lost housing and all benefits promised by the authorities. Those displaced persons who don't want to return home have been settled here, in the places of compact residence," Deputy Prime Minister of the Ingush Government for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Magomed Markhiyev said. "Nevertheless, the work of republican migration structures is not over yet. More than 37 thousand Chechen refugees still stay in Ingushetia. They live in private houses or different places of compact residence." Deputy Head of the Russian Federal Migration Service Igor Yunash, who attended the closure of the camp, said that no temporary accommodation centers consisting of tents remained in Ingushetia from that moment on. In spite of it, Chechen non-governmental organizations engaged in IDPs' problems report on approximately 1,000 people still living in canvas tents on the territory of different places of compact residence. "These tents are not so striking as the camps in the open field, it is the likely reason why the authorities don't take them into consideration," Chairwoman of the Council of Chechen Non-governmental Organizations said. Author: Malika Suleymanova, CK correspondent Source: Caucasian Knot
Chechnya: kidnappings continue CHECHNYA, Grozny (Information Centre, Organisation of Chechen-Russian Friendship). In the village of Belgatoi, armed masked men stormed into the house of a family, named Seriev, and dragged away Sarali Sariev, born 1980 and a first grade invalid. Abdul-Mutalib Seriev, the young man’s father, asked for help in the search for his son on 8 June. According to him, the kidnappers came on 2 June in eleven cars, Zhiguli model, with blacked-out windows and, with one exception, no number plates (the exception was identified as a white model with number plate 516-95 RUS). The kidnappers were speaking Russian, but the father believed that on account of pronunciation some of them were Chechens. Abdul-Mutalib tried to intervene, but one of the men threw an unidentified liquid in his face, causing massive dizziness. Then they took away his son and made off in an unknown direction. The abducted Sarali was a grade one invalid, having lost both arms last year while gathering hay. In the opinion of Imran Yezhiev, regional representative of the OCRF, invalided victims of mine explosions, especially young men, are an especially vulnerable part of the population, as due to their loss of mobility they often become victims of military controls, arbitrary detention, and abduction. Yezhiev added that the state structures regarded amputation as a proof of participation in separatist activities.
10.6.2004 Kidnapping of Chechen residents continues Chechnya, Grozny. (Press-Center ORCHD) Two young males from Achkoi-Martan, kidnapped under different circumstances, have recently been found. One is alive. The other man’s body, which bears the marks of torture, was given to his relatives by the Urus-Martan ROVD. Soslan Kutaev was born on May 29, 1970. He was kidnapped from his home in Grozny by an armed group and was detained there until May 31. He was not tortured during his captivity. Muslim Inalov was born on May 15, 1978. He was kidnapped by unknown people in Nazran, Ingushetia. His relatives received his body on June 6. Inalov may have died from torture. There are many knife wounds on his body, his fingers and toes were cut off, and both arms were broken. Translated by Rebecca Gould PRIMA News Agency [2004-06-08-Chech-06]
Cleaning-up operations in Chechnya Chechnya, Grozny. (Press-Center ORCHD) A joint operation between Chechen and federal forces has been going on now (as of June 8) for three days. In Roshni-Chu, residents are forbidden to leave or enter their village. Local residents who have succeeded in leaving Roshni-Chu report that the village was blockaded on June 5 by Russian soldiers and Chechen forces. A filtration camp was set up on the edge of the village, and people were taken here from the village after their houses were searched. Several of those detained are from the Urus-Martan region. One local resident named Khasiev, who lives in a house on Lenin Street, was detained after the soldiers found a grenade in his home. Several residents stated that the soldiers have planted ammunition in their homes. Translated by Rebecca Gould PRIMA News Agency [2004-06-08-Chech-06]
Russian artillery strikes village outskirts CHECHNYA, Grozny. (NGOs Council Information Centre). For several days Russian airforce and artillery have been delivering massive strikes on the outskirts of Kharsenoi village in Shatoi District; in particular, the forest tract near the village has been subjected to bombardment. According to the local residents, they are bombed practically every day. At the same time, the forest has been under fire from multiple rocket launcher Grad (BM-21). The locals cannot say what caused the intense activity of the Russian military. There is no information about the damage or casualties among the civilians. Earlier, on the night of 5 June, Samashki village in Achkhoi-Martan District was subjected to intense artillery fire from the part of the Russian military. The fire continued till the morning. Translated by Olga Sharp PRIMA- News Agency [2004-06-09-Chech-06]
Chechen-Ingush Diaspora in Samara protests against mass detentions The Chechen-Ingush Diaspora in Samara staged a meeting at the building of the regional administration on June 10. Organizers of the action explain that the people were forced to take such a step by mass arbitrary detentions of Chechens on the basis of nationality which security agencies of the town of Samara practice in the aftermath of the terror attack committed by unknown people on the Kirovsky market on June 4, 2004. The meeting was not sanctioned by the authorities. Approximately 100 protesters gathered on the square in front of the administrative building. Mass detentions of ethnic Chechens began in Samara after the terror attack, meeting participants said. Even those people who were in the town in passing, including those driving their own cars, were detained. The matter concerns many tens of detained people, according to preliminary information. Some of them have been released, but their cars have not been given back to them. Relatives and close friends of the other detainees do not know anything about their whereabouts. It is also unknown whether any charges have been brought against the detained people. Among those whose destiny remains unknown are Adam, Alkhazur and Shamkhan Israilovs, Musa Tutayev, Akhmatov, Aldam Dasuyev, Shirvani Dukayev, Rukshan Sugaipon, Ruslan Khachukayev, Anzor Movlayev, and Bekhan Parshayev. Source: Society for Russian-Chechen Friendship
Act of terror at the market in Samara solved: Chechens again Irina ZAUGOLNYKH, 11 June, 2004 10:15 The last well-known act of terror - the explosion on the market in Samara has been opened in the record short time. Yesterday five Chechens were arrested on the suspicion of organizing this crime. Let us recall, on the 4th of June, approximately 12:25 MST on the Kirov supply market of Samara exploded stand containers with the goods. Tens of people suffered - to this moment 11 got killed, and about 40 injured are located now in the hospitals. One woman, until now, is in the coma. Only after only police has established that on the market a bomb exploded - approximately 1 kg of plastid, then a working version has became the terrorist act, so the first of all police began working on a notorious Chechen trace. Besides this there were assumptions that this crime was directed against an Armenian family, to which this blown up [stand] container belonged, or so were explaining these detailes some local bandits Te law-enforcement organs have introduced such much harsh measures, that the Chechen diaspora began to complain. In past week tens of representatives of this nation, according to the executive director of the Migratsiya humanitarian fund - Imali Abdumuslimov had gone through a "police meat grinder" [myasorubku]. In the letter, which the Samarian Chechens directed to President Putin, it's been written :"We do not want to answer for every blast". If this "arbitrary rule [proizvol]" will not cease, they promise to call for rallies [meetings]. However, for five natives of Chechnya, nevertheless it's necessary to answer, moreover for the whole strictness of law - for the killings and terrorism. Yesterday in the provincial procuratorship they reported that the detained will soon be charged. Their arrest, as an emplyee of procuratorship emphasized, were achieved with the sanction of law court. Names and circumstances of the arrest of these five so far are being held in secret. It is known only that they found on them the same explosivev as that which blasted under the container, and also grenades and another weapons.
Chechens suspected in the Samara explosion The prosecutorship of Samara has arrested five persons suspected of the explosion at the Kirov outdoor market. Although the detained are migrants from Chechnya, the investigation doesn't consider that they exploded that container stand belonging to the Armenians for any political motives. Most likely, TNT explosives was used in the criminal feud. However, besides of a criminal version, the investigation conducted its work also into the third direction, which appeared already during the day of explosion, but then it was put on the back burner. That's a terrorist act "with the Chechen roots". In Samara, where the migrants from the Caucasus make a significant percentage have already began total [proverki] checking-ons, including of the representatives of Chechen diaspora. As reported to "Gazeta.Ru" leader of the Vaynakh Samarian National-Cultural Center Marat Beligov, in the course of investigation of explosion the agents of law-enforcement agencies have already detained at least 15 people. Moreover, on some of them the police planted narcotics and even grenades. But a majority of them have been let go, after explaining their nonparticipation to that explosion on the market. True,prosecutorship does not connect the arrest of those Chechens with apolitical version of explosion, but it explains as an ordinary crime. According to some data, suspects belonged to the Chechen Organized Crime Group, [OPG] which also had worked at the Kirov market.
eng.kavkaz.memo.ru Caucasian Knot 12/6/2004 |