June 1, 2004.

Ingushetia Closes Last Refugee Camp

By Yuri Bagrov The Associated Press VLADIKAVKAZ, North Ossetia -- Authorities closed the last remaining tent camp for refugees from Chechnya in the neighboring region of Ingushetia on Tuesday, even though hundreds of residents still live there.

Akhmet Parchiyev, deputy chief of Federal Migration Service's Ingushetia branch, said the Satsita camp is officially closed as of Tuesday.

"A few tents still remained there, but people are leaving," he said by telephone.

But Lorhen Gunther, an activist at the camp, said that some 350 to 400 refugees still remain at Satsita.

Gunther, speaking by telephone from Satsita, said migration officials on Tuesday warned the camp's residents that water and energy supplies to the camp would be cut starting Thursday.

"While the authorities are not evicting the refugees by force, they are creating conditions for the refugees that leave them no other choice but to leave," said Usam Baisayev, the head of local office of the human rights group Memorial.

The government long has pushed for the refugees' return to Chechnya, trying to present it as a sign of normalization of life in the war- ravaged region. But many refugees fear returning to Chechnya, where fighting rages daily and hundreds of people are rounded up daily in federal sweeps for suspected rebels.

Chechen civilians and human rights activists say that such security operations are fraught with arbitrary detentions, beating, torture and murders.

Rebels, in turn, routinely kill local residents whom they suspect of collaboration with the federal authorities.

In a bid to convince refugees to return to unstable Chechnya, authorities have promised them good temporary accommodations and compensation payments for rebuilding their wrecked homes. However, the temporary homes are cramped and shabby and compensation payments slow to come.

In addition to offering incentives for refugees to return, the authorities have pressured those reluctant to leave the tent camps in Ingushetia by cutting water and energy supplies.

Some former camp residents who have refused to return to Chechnya have found shelter in private housing in Ingushetia or in so- called "temporary settlements," usually derelict factories or collective farms where the buildings have been sectioned off into small cubicles.

More than 200,000 Chechen refugees lived in Ingushetia in the worst days of the latest war in Chechnya, which began in 1999. About 60,000 are still there.

Helsinki Commission Leaders Urge President Bush to Raise Russian Rights Concerns; Putin Visit Opportunity to Press for Progress

MosNews

Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov?s emissary to Georgia, Khizri Aldamov, was poisoned by phosphor that was placed on the dashboard of his car earlier this weekend, the Kommersant daily reported Tuesday.

The emissary was hospitalized this weekend after experiencing hallucinations and loss of speech, Russian media reported. At first, media speculated he had been poisoned by Russian special services, but later Georgian physicians said that Aldamov, together with his son and nephew, who had also been hospitalized, had eaten dirty strawberries.

On Monday, however, Georgian police began an investigation into the causes of Aldamov?s illness. The investigators examined the emissary?s Nissan, and found a phosphor-type substance on the dashboard, Kommersant quoted one of Aldamov?s relatives as saying.

Some of Aldamov?s other relatives were said to have fallen ill after driving him and his son to the hospital, the newspaper reported.

Aldamov?s aides, meanwhile, say they are convinced the poisoning was the work of Russian special agents. ?Georgian authorities have nothing against us,? the newspaper quoted an aide as saying, ?which cannot be said for the Russian special forces.?

Wednesday, June 2, 2004. Page 3. The Moscow Times

Zyazikov: No Wave of Kidnappings

By Anatoly Medetsky Staff Writer

Ingush President Murat Zyazikov on Tuesday denied reports of an increasing number of abductions in his republic that have been blamed on local security forces.

"It's not a massive number," he said of the abductions at a Moscow news conference, adding that law enforcement agencies were investigating who was behind the kidnappings that have been reported to the authorities. Human rights groups have reported a wave of kidnappings in Ingushetia since last year.

In the abductions, masked and camouflaged men have typically shoved people into cars without license plates and spirited them away, allegedly to the Khankala military base in neighboring war-torn Chechnya, the groups say.

The practice spread from Chechnya, where federal troops use it to hunt down rebels, rights groups including Amnesty International and Memorial have said. This year, there have been more than 40 abductions, the groups said last month.

Zyazikov said that only seven people had been kidnapped in Ingushetia since he became president in 2002.

He denied that his administration was behind the abductions. "We're categorically against any raids and operations that violate the law," he said.

Zyazikov said he was unaware of a letter that a Federal Security Service officer, Igor Onishchenko, allegedly sent to the Prosecutor General's Office in April, confessing to killing, kidnapping and beating people in Ingushetia.

The newspaper Novaya Gazeta published the letter, and a scan of it showing the prosecutor's office's stamp for incoming mail, in its May 27 issue, saying it could prove the letter was authentic. Onishchenko said in the letter that he and a fellow officer killed 35 men and maimed another 50 on the orders of the head of the local FSB branch.

Zyazikov dismissed statements that his security service background -- he is a retired FSB general -- could have prompted him to authorize abuse and subsequently try to mount a coverup.

"I know what repression means from my family's experience. I was born in exile," he said. "I think we'll never return to that."

One of the most prominent abductions was that of regional prosecutor Rashid Ozdoyev, who had complained about the local FSB to the Prosecutor General's Office before he was grabbed in March. Zyazikov said he had ordered an investigation of the case.

"Investigations of such notorious abductions usually don't yield any results," said Shakhman Akbulatov of Memorial from the organization's office in Nazran, the Ingush capital.

6/1/2004 11:57:00 AM

To: National and International Desks

Contact: Ben Anderson or Dorothy Douglas Taft, 202-225-1901, both of the United States Helsinki Commission, Web site: http://www.csce.gov

WASHINGTON, June 1 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The United States Helsinki Commission today released the text of a letter signed by Commission leaders addressed to President George W. Bush in conjunction with Russian President Vladimir Putin's U.S. visit to attend the G8 Summit, set to open a week from today, in Sea Island, Georgia.

As noted at a May 20th Helsinki Commission hearing, President Putin is increasingly relying on the security-intelligence apparatus to run Russia, with ominous consequences for human rights, civil liberties and democratic progress. The leaders cited specific concerns over the targeting of a number of Russian academics and environmentalists; a ban on religious activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian capital; and egregious violations of international humanitarian law in Chechnya.

Begin text.

May 28, 2004

The President

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We write urging you to raise human rights concerns in the Russian Federation when you meet with President Putin at the Sea Island G-8 Summit. As noted at a recent Helsinki Commission hearing, Mr. Putin is increasingly relying on the security-intelligence apparatus to run Russia, with ominous consequences for human rights, civil liberties and democratic progress.

One of the telling results has been what human rights activists are calling "spy mania," whereby a number of academics and environmentalists have been accused of collaborating with Western intelligence agencies on the basis of questionable evidence and procedures. A case in point involves Igor Sutyagin, a researcher from the U.S. and Canada Institute, recently sentenced by a Moscow court to 15 years in hard labor for "espionage." His "crime" was to pass scientific analyses based upon open source material to associates abroad. While his is not an isolated case, Sutyagin has received the harshest sentence to date. We urge you to raise this case as well as the broader trend.

In another troubling trend, a recent Moscow municipal court ruling effectively bans the religious activities of the local community of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian capital. This case should set off alarm bells for members of other religious minorities in Moscow and beyond. There has also been heightened rhetoric by Russian officials with frequent references to so-called "traditional religions," which raises serious concerns over the status of individuals belonging to "minority" religious communities in Russia (many of whom have existed in Russia for over a century).

Government pressure on electronic media outlets, denunciations by government officials of human rights and pro-democracy NGOs, and manipulations of elections give further rise for concern. President Putin is well positioned to reverse these troubling trends away from protection of human rights, civil liberties and democratic progress and toward governance based upon the misguided notion of so-called "managed democracy."

Finally, we reiterate longstanding concerns regarding developments in Chechnya where the most egregious violations of international humanitarian law anywhere in the OSCE region are occurring. President Putin's efforts to manipulate political developments in Chechnya have failed to move the region toward normalization, as evidenced by the recent assassination of his handpicked leader for the region. Besides alleviating the grave humanitarian situation in Chechnya, President Putin should move to allow the Chechen people to have a voice and choice in their future, while preserving the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation.

Mr. President, we urge you to set aside a portion of your time with President Putin to discuss these particularly disturbing developments in the Russian Federation.

Sincerely,

CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, M.C.

Chairman

BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL, U.S.S.

Co-Chairman

BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, M.C.

Ranking Member

cc: Dr. Condoleezza Rice, National Security Advisor

End Text.

The United States Helsinki Commission, an independent federal agency, by law monitors and encourages progress in implementing provisions of the Helsinki Accords. The Commission, created in 1976, is composed of nine Senators, nine Representatives and one official each from the Departments of State, Defense, and Commerce.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

-0-

/© 2004 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/

The Chechen Times 31.05.2004

Lawyer Khamzaev accuses the General Procuracy of the Russian Federation of hiding especially grave crimes

On 26 May, an honoured lawyer of the Russian Federation, retired colonel Abdulla Khamzaev, resident of Moscow, addressed an appeal to the Procurator General of the Russian Federation Vladimir Ustinov in which he presented the facts of hiding persons responsible for grave crimes on the territory of the Chechen Republic by agencies of the Russian Office of Public Prosecutor. We publish a condensed version of this appeal.

To Procurator General of the Russian Federation Vladimir Ustinov

APPEAL

 From A. Khamzaev – victim of the air strike on a housing estate of Urus-Martan of the Chechen Republic on 19 October 1999

On 19 October 1999, the Russian aviation conducted a bombing attack on a housing estate of Urus-Martan of the Chechen Republic, situated at the intersection of the streets Dostoevskogo, Mayakovskogo, Cherniakhovskogo, Ordjonikidze, Pervomayskoy, Trudovoy and Bolnichnoy. As a result of this air strike, 6 persons were killed, 16 – injured; 13 apartment houses were destroyed totally, 27 – partially.

On 21 July 2000, the Procuracy of the Chechen Republic brought a criminal action on the basis of my appeal concerning a bombing attack in accordance with the criminal code of the Russian Federation, points «a», «e», part 2, article 105 and part 2, article 167. The decision of the acting Procurator of Urus-Martan district of the ChR Iliushenko of the 29th of April read as follows, «Houses and citizens’ property were destroyed, citizens were killed or injured owing to an air strike by the Russian aviation on 19 October 1999».

During the examination of my appeal by the Procuracy of the North Caucasus region, it was confirmed that the Russian aviation had conducted an operational flight in Urus-Martan on 19 October 1999.

Between April 2001 – February 2004, the actual criminal case was more than once directed to the military Procuracy of the military unit 20102 and of OGV in order to establish a concrete military unit, element or flight, and persons responsible for this action.

As I made sure during the elapsed period, military procurators make no attempt to hold a full, detailed an objective inquiry into the reel circumstances of the especially grave crimes against Chechen civilians committed by Russian pilots. In addition, trying to avoid by all means a preliminary investigation, military procurators indulged voluntarily or not murderers of Chechen women and children. That’s why those responsible for the crime are still unpunished. In defiance of the procedural criminal law, my repeated applications were not examined. I don’t know for what reason the applications were not examined.

Me and my daughter Leila Khamzaeva are declared victims and civil plaintiffs in the actual case. But in defiance of the procedural criminal law, an investigator hasn’t sent us a decision concerning the termination of prosecution. On 3 February 2004, the head of the investigating department of the military Procuracy of OGV R. Garaev refused to give (send) me this decision.

Garaev answered my application of the 10th of January: «Take notice that you has a right to learn the case papers concerning an air strike on the town of Urus-Martan of the Chechen Republic conducted on 19 October 1999 by federal forces in the Procuracy of OGV (103400, Moscow-400), and to copy the case papers».

Garaev didn’t want to take the trouble to explain where this Moscow-400 is, where and when I can make a copy of the case. When the case was sent back to the military Procuracy of OGV, I made a complaint about illegal actions of the investigator Pisarevsky.

According to the criminal code of the RF, the prosecutor must examine a complaint within 3 days and communicate his decision to the declarant.

On 15 April of this year, 40 days expired since my second complaint had been delivered to the military Procurator, and things are right where they started.

This case let me draw a conclusion that the Russian procedural law isn’t practically valid for the Chechens – fot the sole reason that we are Chechens.

The truth is not always appropriate. But the fact remains. The descendants of «Stalin’s falcons» dropping bombs on Chechen heads are well protected. Russian procurators act often as their defenders.

You need names, secret addresses?! No problems! On 2 October 1999, Russian bomber forces conducted either a bombing attack or an air strike on a housing estate situated in Kalanchankskaya street in Urus-Martan. Eight Chechens were killed (in a cellar), seven Chechens – injured. In all, 15 souls! Including a two-years-old Chechen child! Young boys and girls.

Urus-Martan was liberated in December 1999. White-faced liberators were rejoicing over their victory. Nobody remembered about these murdered children.

If a Chechen is killed, it doesn’t matter! How else can you explain the fact that a criminal action was brought by the local police department (!) only on 23 April 2001, in other words 485 after the tragic incident!

As for the premeditated murder of eight Chechens, the acting procurator Iliushenko comforted me: «Your arguments will be taken into consideration!» I have an impression that separate procurators appointed by you in order to restore the Russian legality in Chechnya have completely forgotten how complaints must be examined in accordance with the Russian procedural criminal law.

I suppose that such a initiative isn’t based on the legal ignorance of these procurators. The fact that my repeated complaints were not examined can be interpreted as especially grave crimes and citizens’ rights violations on the basis of nationality hiding.

Dear Procurator, you must know what the Chechen don’t risk to say aloud: not only the impunity of Russian forces undermines the Chechen respect for the Russian State system owing to its laws ineffective for the Chechens for a long time, but also this impunity engenders imperishable hatred and separative tendencies.

Honoured lawyer of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Abdulla Khamzaev

Society for Russian-Chechen Friendship

Jun 1 2004 2:10PM

PACE rapporteurs to fly to N. Caucasus

MOSCOW. June 1 (Interfax) - Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) rapporteurs Rudolf Bindig and Andreas Gross will fly to the North Caucasus on Wednesday to investigate the humanitarian situation in Chechnya and Ingushetia, Ingushetia's Federation Council representative Vasily Likhachyov told reporters.

"On Wednesday, the PACE rapporteurs will fly to the North Caucasus and visit Grozny and Nazran," Likhachyov told a Tuesday news conference in Moscow.

He said Bindig and Gross will report on the situation in the North Caucasus at the upcoming PACE session in Strasbourg. They will remain in Russia until Saturday.

Likhachyov that in Moscow on Tuesday afternoon, the rapporteurs will meet with representatives of Chechnya and Ingushetia from both houses of parliament.

Ingush President Murat Zyazikov told the news conference: "It is essential that they should help. We know what is wrong ourselves. We are opposed to sweeps, to operations violating human rights."

"There is no need to teach us. If they want to help us, let them help, but not stand in the way," he said.

Zyazikov denied the claims of human rights groups that abductions have been on the rise in Ingushetia lately. "I cannot say that there are massive abductions in Ingushetia," he said.

He said that seven cases on the disappearance of people have been opened in Ingushetia recently, and the prosecutor's office, the Interior Ministry and the Federal Security Service are investigating them.