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eng.kavkaz.memo.ru Caucasian Knot 14/6/2004 Samara's Chechens, Ingush demand equal rights A protest meeting was held yesterday, June 10, in front of the regional administration building, initiated by the Chechen-Ingush community of Samara. The organizers of the demonstration say the people were forced to take that step because of mass arbitrary detentions of Chechens practiced solely on an ethnic basis by law enforcement and security agencies in Samara after a terrorist act committed in the Kirovskii marketplace on June 4 this year. The meeting that gathered about four hundred people had not been sanctioned by the authorities, but law enforcement agencies did not take action to disperse it. Below are the documents adopted by the meeting - a resolution and an open letter to the president of the Russian Federation. Resolution "Gathering at the meeting, we, citizens of various ethnicities, have adopted the following decision: - to consider the meeting a warning; - to demand that the regional authorities should rigorously observe the laws of this nation and the Constitution; - to pursue, clearly and rigorously, the line determined by President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia as regards the ethnicity issue; - to establish control over the operation of law enforcement agencies as regards their observing the constitutional rights of citizens; - to immediately release those detained on suspicion of committing the terrorist act, including those on whom false exhibits were planted; Participants in the meeting reserve for themselves the right to go on a no time limit hunger-strike and hold a bigger meeting in front of the regional administration building in Samara." Open letter to President Vladimir V. Putin of the Russian Federation "Dear Mr. President! Your voters and, accordingly, Russian citizens resident in the Samara region who are Chechens by ethnicity address you with an earnest request to protect them from abuse of power. We want the basic law of the nation, its Constitution, for which we voted and which guarantees our inviolability, security and the right to free life in this country, to apply to us, too. A real "witch-hunt" began after an explosion that had occurred in the city of Samara. Tens of Chechen guys have gone through the law enforcement mincing machine in the next few days, although the entire population of the Samara region know that this was the result of gang wars. We do not want to be responsible for every explosion in the country. Today in Samara, law enforcement agencies, namely, "werewolves in uniforms," are trying to make up for their helplessness in establishing due order with mass arrests and detentions of Chechens, thus pretending energetic operation. Our children aged fourteen and above are currently afraid to spend nights at home, awaiting groundless detention and beating. Mr. President, we believe the moment has long come when you must use the power that we gave you along with others and protect us from abuse on the part of werewolves in uniforms. We are tired of being rogues in our own country. We want to be equal among equals. We ask you: hear us, give us hope that what fathers and mothers look forward to and what our children dream about will come true. We are today holding a meeting in protest against abuse of power, not because we believe it a method of fight for our rights, but with hope that you will pay attention to our troubles and problems and make people vested with authority observe and respect the Constitution of the Russian Federation which you as President of the Russian Federation guarantee. With sincere respect and hope, Natives of the Chechen Republic resident in the Samara region." Source: Society for Russian-Chechen Friendship June 14, 2004 Aid Worker Believed Missing in Ingushetia The Associated Press The Foreign Ministry has assured Slovakia's ambassador that it is doing its best to find a Slovak aid worker believed missing in the North Caucasus, but also told him that foreigners must be careful about traveling in the area. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Razov told Slovak Ambassador Augustin Cisar that "all necessary measures are being taken to determine the possible location" of Miriam Jevikova, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Jevikova is believed to have left the city of Pyatigorsk more than a week ago for Ingushetia. Jevikova, 28, works with the Czech Refugee Relief organization, Slovak Embassy spokesman Roman Rosina said. Usam Baisayev, of the human rights organization Memorial's office in Ingushetia's main city, said Friday that Jevikova had contacts with regional human rights activists and with Chechens living in southern Russia. Baisayev said she left Pyatigorsk on June 1 to make contacts in Ingushetia. Several days later, a man who refused to identify himself came to Memorial's office saying that Jevikova had not shown up as expected in Ingushetia and that he had received two cellphone text messages from her, one saying she was being dragged across a field. During the meeting with Razov, "the ambassador's attention was drawn to the need for foreign citizens to observe precautionary measures when visiting the region in question," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. It was released late Friday, following the meeting. RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 8, No. 111, Part I, 14 June 2004 Four detained in Ingushetia for protesting Duma election fraud Police detained Osman and Islam Merzhoev, together with two unidentified women, in Ingushetia's Malgobek Raion on 11 June, the independent ingushetiya.ru website reported the following day. The four had been distributing photocopies of an open letter sent in late April to President Putin by Musa Ozdoev, a deputy in the Ingush parliament, detailing alleged election fraud and criticizing the policies of Ingush President Murat Zyazikov (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 22 and 23 April and 17 May 2004). They also distributed articles by journalist Anna Politkovskaya giving details of still-unsolved abductions of residents of Ingushetia, allegedly by Interior Ministry troops. The two women were released later on 11 June, and the young men the following evening. Ozdoev accused Zyazikov of ordering Merzhoev's detention and also the confiscation by police of his car. Ozdoev warned that following the adoption by the State Duma in its third and final reading of a draft law on public demonstrations, he will "lead the people out onto the streets and sweep away the present corrupt, bandit leadership." LF The Chechen Times 14.06.2004 Criticizing system of paying off compensations is deadly dangerous in Chechnya To give an example I shall refer to an accident which took place in Urus-Martan, when at 5 a.m. (the most favorite time of night aliens) armed masked people broke into the house of Abdula Itslayev, the deputy editor of the Marsho district newspaper. They demanded the newspaper stop publishing materials containing negative information about the process of paying off compensations to Chechnya’s residents for destroyed housing and lost property. In the beginning I must note that the Marsho district newspaper — is one of the most popular newspapers in the republic, its staff — are real professionals. Working in the district Marsho’s journalists have never stopped making their job, even in the most gloomy period of the war, and they have always been professional running great personal risks. Why don’t night aliens and their bosses like the newspaper? To understand it we shall read the newspaper and make necessary conclusions which — while reading newspaper articles — suggest themselves. The 33rd issue of Marsho (Freedom) — ten days before the armed people appeared in the house of the deputy editor — contained the article under the following headline «Too many cooks…" in the rubric «Compensations: endless, hopeless expectation» (by Sh. Ibragimov). The article, as you might have guessed yourself, was dedicated to the process of paying off compensations to Chechnya’s residents who suffered during the hostilities. Shortly — background. On July 4 last year the Russian Government issued a long-awaited Resolution «About the order of paying off compensations for lost housing and property to people who suffered during the crisis settlement in the Chechen Republic and permanently reside on its territory." The author decided to dwell on the topic. He pinpointed how pro-Russian Chechnya’s authorities reacted to the Resolution transforming an existing governmental body into a Committee of the Chechen Government for forced migrants and compensations to spearhead which Abubakir Baibatyrov, an official of the Chechen representative office under the Russian president, was summoned. In fact, the author added a small detail to the story, in particular — he said that «at home the new official was known not as Abubakir, but Vakha, who used to work as the director of an Alkhan-Yurt school." First, the freshly appointed head of «the sinecure» A. Baibatyrov hurried to appear on television and inform the population that «the number of households, the owners of which could expect compensations, is less than 40,000," thereby disappointing Chechnya TV audiences. Unlike the freshly appointed compensations chief, people knew well that the number of destroyed houses in Chechnya is much higher that A. Baibatyrov suggested. And people could count. The journalist also made his conclusion noting that «the figure of 40,000 houses might have been relevant only for Grozny, where as a result of all possible operations almost no dwelling houses remained intact." As we know, one cannot fight facts. Unlike people. In order to make his conclusions more convincing, the journalist built a logical chain on the basis of these figures. According to the local administration, about 54,000 people live in 8,000 households in Urus-Martan. That means 6.7 people in each household. Since the average density of the population in Chechnya is almost the same, multiplying 6.75 by 40,000 we can see that about 270,000 homeless citizens await compensation payments. If we imagine the pre-war life of a Chechen resident, we must remember that, according to the author, «before the active phase of the hostilities in Chechnya all these people had housing, used to sleep on something, eat from something, drive something and keep something for «black days." However, as a result of the war they live in a totally devastated republic and face appalling poverty." One shall not tell lies saying that Moscow is not aware of the true scale of such devastation. Even the Russian President «was appalled» by images of destroyed Grozny. Asking the question whether or not the country was ready to them — we are likely to stuck in mutual accusations, but it is high time to ask the question «Is the society ready to pay for them?» Most probably, the author of the article «Too many cooks» — is a meticulous person, able to ask «inconvenient questions» to the authorities. For example, he truly believes that «the most honest way is to totally compensate material and moral damaged caused to people." Also he believes that initially the worst variant was chosen — «offering poor crumbs to shut up those who try speaking about justice." And he is indignant: «But even these crumbs are not that easy to get: each one is forced to prove he is not a camel, able to get through a needle eye." Today the topic of compensation payments is the most popular in Chechnya. The pro-Russian Chechnya officials have been active in this respect as never before. According to the author of the article, to compensation payments «all possible and impossible bodies were attracted. For the noble cause — to speed up and regulate the process. But neither the committee for compensation payments, nor the proper commission at the republican leadership, or an interdepartmental commission, or Russia’s Gosstroi, FSB or MVD, or any other administrative and force structures have managed to get things moving." And now official statistics which sounds at different levels and which is expected to be praised: «Within 9 months after the adoption of the 404 Resolution of the Russian Government, only 1,800 household owners, or 4.5% of the total list of officially recognized 40,000 of contenders." Simple calculations give a totally different statistics: under the present pace the process of paying off compensation might take up to 17 years. Then the author makes a conclusion that «the order of the Russian president about the necessity to complete compensation payments within a short period of time is interpreted, as it turns out, by officials too widely." Following his logical chain, the author notes: «In turn the republican leadership takes steps to speed up the process, but there is nonsense: every new commission, every innovation only slow it down." A lot becomes clear: slowing down take place at the level of district units of the committee for compensation payments, but with a tacit, probably, an approving consent from the top. At quite frequent press conferences «the top» tries to persuade journalists and the population that they have just taken the decision which is likely to change the situation drastically, that all structures and forces engaged do their best. However, in reality the population feels no improvements." And finally about bribe-takers. About numerous officials who have built nests on a wide system of the complex (or artificially complicated) structure aimed at paying off compensations. The authorities admit they do exist, that they are numerous and that they are closely interrelated. However, the authorities «do not reveal or name them, suggesting citizens pronouncing their names aloud." Reading through another paragraph of the given article, I mentally thanks the author again: he managed to name all painful issues related to the notorious question of paying off compensations. «If it were a matter of one-two extortioners, probably, people would have named them. But what if the list is long, and it begins with the names of people who are expected to ensure the unconditional implementation of the Resolution of the Russian Government? Complaining about illegal actions by an official — is equal to sentencing oneself to death," — the author writes with a devastating hopelessness. Residents of the republic know more: if you seek for justice in the question of compensation payments — you are likely, eventually, to face «armed people," as happened to the deputy editor of Marsho which published the «inconvenient» article. Many have made sure themselves in such cases that the weapon is real. Although this time night aliens did not go beyond threats. I imagine how those who sent masked people to the house of the armed journalist will become indignant about the case. Agree, it is easy to reveal them. If there is someone’s will, of course. In the end of his article the author asks a number of question: «Why neither will nor a strong arm is enough when it comes to restoring justice with respect to those who have suffered as a result of the measures taken by the state in order to restore the Constitutional space of the country? How can a great country allow minor officials interpret resolutions of the Federal Government in all possible ways?» And finally. I am not an expert in the issue, but I dare saying that the problem of prompt compensation payments for lost housing and property is a priority issue for the state. Exhausted by endless journeys and homeless life people flooded into the republic hoping to receive the resources assigned for them and to somehow — during the summer — to settle the acute housing problem. But numerous officials are not in a hurry to deal with the problem. It is convenient for them. They wait for people to agree to their conditions, come and ask: «I accept your conditions. Put me on the list." This is the secret of delaying the question of compensation payments when «by all means officials try to force the homeless to «share» their crumbs assigned for compensations. Only a fool would refuse the money which is coming directly into one’s hands." Such pessimistic conclusion is made by the author. Revealing such truth he incurred anger of someone powerful, if — ignoring traditions — he sent armed people to the house of one of the newspaper heads. So far the republican force structures haven’t reacted to the night raid of masked people. May be everything is still ahead. F. Soyarimova eng.kavkaz.memo.ru Caucasian Knot 14/6/2004 Murder attempt on Chechen policemen might be revenge Unidentified people organized an attempt on some representatives of Chechnya's Ministry of Internal Affairs in Orjonikidzevskaia, Sunzha district, Ingushetia, on June 12. An explosive device equivalent to one kilogram of trinitrotoluene was planted at the side of the road at the exit from Orjonikidzevskaia. It went off the moment a column of vehicles with Chechen police officers was going by. The explosion resulted in one of the vehicles partially damaged. No one was injured among the policemen. The people from the Sunzha district prosecutor's office who conduct investigation into the explosion in Orjonikidzevskaia do not rule out that the murder attempt on the Chechen police officers on June 12 might be a kind of revenge of rebels for their killed associates. Caucasian Knot's correspondent managed to find out that officers of the Urus-Martan District Division of Internal Affairs that day had conducted a special operation to detain members of illegal armed units in one of the compact residence places of Chechen refugees in Ingushetia. Three young men were killed in the course of the "clean-up" in the Rassvet compact residence place in Orjonikidzevskaia, according to tenants of the camp. "A group of armed people in masks burst in the temporary accommodation point in the afternoon on June 12," a representative of the Rassvet camp administration says. "Seeing the military, three young guys (aged about eighteen or twenty) ran and fire was at once opened on them. One of them was torn into pieces by a grenade explosion. The other two were also wounded, but still alive. Running up, the military men killed them, too, and then they left, taking the guys' bodies with them." Author: Malika Suleymanova, CK correspondent Medecins Sans Frontieres Says Russia Responsible for Erkel Created: 15.06.2004 14:15 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 16:59 MSK, MosNews Medecins Sans Frontieres is accusing Russia of obstructing investigations into the kidnapping of Dutch humanitarian worker Arjan Erkel, who was released this April after 20 months in captivity in the Northern Caucasus, the aid organization said in a press release. After the Dutch government, which paid for Erkel's release this spring, approached Medecins Sans Frontieres for reimbursement, the humanitarian organization said it refused to pay the 750,000 Euro the Dutch government says it spent on Erkel's release. "National governments are bound by international law to respect and ensure protection of humanitarian aid workers," the press release stated. "Throughout his kidnapping the Dutch government failed to hold the Russian government accountable for Arjan Erkel's kidnapping and is now demanding that MSF reimburse a payment made by the Dutch for his release." MSF is also calling the Russian government "ultimately responsible for the protection of humanitarian aid workers on its soil," and saying it did too little to free Erkel. "The official investigation by the Russian Federation was obstructed, delayed, and even stopped for six months," the statement said. Arjan Erkel was abducted on August 12, 2002 in Dagestan and released on April 11, 2004 after 20 months in captivity. He is among the many people who have been kidnapped in the volatile region where the Russian internal republic of Chechnya is waging a guerrilla war against Russia for independence. Netherlands threatens suit against aid group Tuesday, June 15th, 2004 By ANTHONY DEUTSCH, Associated Press AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) - In a rare public dispute, the government Tuesday threatened to sue the Doctors Without Borders relief agency for repayment of $900,000 used as ransom to free an abducted Dutch employee. Arjan Erkel was set free April 11 after 20 months in captivity in the southern Russian region of Dagestan, bordering the warring Chechen republic, where Russian troops are battling separatist rebels. It was one of the longest kidnappings of an aid worker in the Caucasus region. The dispute led to widespread publication that a ransom had been paid to the hostage-takers - $1.2 million in all. Critics said acknowledgment of the payment could heighten the risk of kidnapping for other relief workers. The argument surfaced a few weeks after five of the Nobel prize-winning relief agency's workers were killed in Afghanistan, forcing it to suspend its operations there. The Dutch government and MSF - or Medecins Sans Frontieres, as the organization is officially known - gave conflicting accounts of the events leading up to Erkel's release and accused each other of lying. Communication between the parties has collapsed over the disagreement. MSF said it is refusing to repay the claim because it had never agreed to do so. But the Dutch Foreign Ministry said MSF had promised to repay what it called "a loan." "This is untrue. MSF did not receive or borrow any money from the Dutch government and was not involved in the negotiations," MSF said in a statement. MSF said it was informed three days before Erkel's release of an arrangement with the kidnappers it said had been negotiated by the Dutch government. But the Foreign Ministry denied conducting any negotiations, and said the hasty deal had been brokered by veterans of the former Soviet Union's KGB security and spy agency from Moscow at MSF's request. "There was a small window of 24 hours in which Erkel could be freed," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Bart Jochems. "They couldn't get the money together that quickly and we fronted it. They promised to pay it back as quickly as possible." Jochems restated that the Dutch government "didn't negotiate. We never negotiate." He blamed MSF for seeking publicity and endangering the lives of other MSF employees. The Foreign Ministry said MSF was only able to get together $276,000 because the deal came at such short notice. Jochems said MSF has indicated it also intends to reclaim that amount, which it had deposited with the Dutch Embassy in Moscow. MSF accused the government of shirking its responsibility throughout the crisis, apparently fearing to upset the Russian government. "National governments are bound by international law to respect and ensure protection of humanitarian aid workers," MSF said. "Throughout his kidnapping the Dutch government failed to hold the Russian government accountable for Arjan Erkel's kidnapping." MSF accused Moscow of "political passivity" during the kidnapping. It said an investigation into Erkel's disappearance was obstructed and at one point halted for six months. Erkel was welcomed back to his hometown in the coastal province of Zeeland on April 12. His return, announced by the Foreign Ministry, received two days of national media coverage. Erkel was unharmed, but 40 pounds lighter.