| Secretary General of the Council of
Europe Mr. Terry Davis Council of Europe Strasbourg - Cedex Russia: Call for Council of Europe Secretary General - Support of Human Rights Defenders at Risk on Behalf of their Work in Chechnya Vienna, 11 February 2005 Dear Mr. Secretary General, I am writing to you on behalf of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) in connection with your upcoming official visit to the Russian Federation, on 13-15 February. Our organisation would like to take this opportunity to share with you our concerns about the increasing harassment of human rights defenders in the Russian Federation, especially in the context of human rights work conducted over the Chechen conflict. We believe that this information can be useful when discussing political questions of common interest, as well as a possible "programme of activities in Chechnya". We are attaching to this letter a series of statements that our organisation has developed to support human rights defenders and to appeal against illegal actions by the authorities. We would especially attract your attention to the most recent disappearance of a human rights defender, our colleague M. Magomadov, who was kidnapped on 20 January 2005. In spite of false assertions by law-enforcement that he was released, Mr. Magomadov is still missing. You will find in the following pages a description of his case and of the various démarches undertaken by our organisation in order to press for his release. We would be most grateful for your support of this case in your discussions with the relevant officials in Moscow. We thank you in advance for your consideration of this request. We would also welcome your attention to the criminal case that was opened on 11 January 2005 against the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society, an active local human rights group based in Nizhny Novgorod, which received the 2004 Recognition Award of the IHF for its courageous monitoring and reporting about the human rights situation in Chechnya and the humanitarian assistance it delivers in the Chechen Republic. Human rights defenders from this organisation are now facing criminal charges on the basis of article 280 of the Criminal Code of the RF ("publicly calling for the fulfillment of extremist activitiesâ€) for the reproduction, in the Society’s Human Rights Defense newspaper, of two statements of Chechen separatists leaders (one from Aslan Mashkhadov to the European Parliament; and the second by Akhmed Zakayev to the Russian people), both calling for a peaceful resolution of the conflict. The IHF fears that these actions are part of a destructive pattern of intimidating the human rights community active in Chechnya. We would like to add that the newspaper Kommersant is now threatened with legal action for publishing calls for peace from individuals considered as extremists by the Russian government. Raising these issues in your meetings with the Russian authorities would greatly assist those who, making use of their right of free _expression, are trying to seek peace and justice in Chechnya. More generally, the IHF would like to take this opportunity to ask for an enhanced involvement of the Council of Europe in pressing for a political solution to the human rights and humanitarian crisis in Chechnya. We have noticed with disappointment that the issue of Chechnya is not anymore on the regular agenda of the Committee of Ministers meetings, but we remain confident that a renewed political will to address as a priority this crisis area on the Council of Europe territory can greatly benefit the Russian population and that of the whole European continent. Wishing you success during your upcoming visit to the Russian Federation, Sincerely, Brigitte Dufour IHF Deputy Executive Director __________________________________________ International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights Wickenburggasse 14/7 A-1080 Vienna Tel. +43-1-408 88 22 Fax: +43-1-408 88 22 ext. 50 Web: http://www.ihf-hr.org ______________________________________ http://www.ingushetiya.ru/news/4706.html (tr. by M.L.) 11 months [have passed] since the day of abduction of Rashid Ozdoyev Ingushetiya..Ru, 11.02.2005 00:27 Today 11 months have passed, when a group of armed persons, among whom there was UFSB agent of Ingushetia, Rustavel Sultygov, kidnapped and took away in the unknown direction Rashid Borisovivh Ozdoyev, - the senior assistant to the prosecutor of Ingushetia. In spite of evidence of participation of the FSB agents and the mobile unit of MVD RF in this kidnapping, Ozdoyev's collegues from the procuratorship of Ingushetia don't take any measures to solve this crime. The criminal case at present time is on file of Nazir Yevloyev - the investigator of the republic's prosecutorship. It's been filed as unsolved. We have a specific information about Rashid's fate, which was published on our site. Below are given references to all news reports, connected to this crime. Meanwhile, Rashid Ozdoyev's father - the retired judge, Boris Ozdoyev, has been appointed to the post of the chief of juridical division of president's administration of Ingushetia. The chief of UFSB of Russia for Ingushetia, Sergey Koryakov, whom Ozdoyev's relatives suspect of Rashid's abduction was transferred, and became the chief of FSB of one of the Russian regions. http://www.ingushetiya.ru/news/4703.html (tr. by M.L.) Investigation has started Ingushetia.ru 11.02.2005 18:10 It's been reported that on the military commandant office [voyenkomat] account, 200 million rubles has been deposited, on court's order in its decisions in favor for the farmers and individual businessmen, who have suffered damage by the army, in the course of deployment and movement of military equipment through the republic's fields in 1999. However, only 10% of this money has reached the farmers. In the process of disapperance of money have been involved the military commissar of the Sunzhen district, Khamkhat Malsagov, certain Ruslan Sultygov from the Defense Ministry of RF (son of General Magomed Sultygov), the Head of Administration of Nazran - Abukar Sultygov, Adsalam Guliyev - the employee of the UBOP MVD RI and others, who defrauded the farmers, as they "kicked out" this money from the budget and appropriated it's lion's share. Those, who actually had worked on this problem, were pushed aside. Information about these "dealings" in regard to this has reached the Minister of Defense of Russia, Ivanov. At present time, a joint commission of MO and the General Procurator's office has been created, to check out a legality of alloting of this enormous sum for the farmers, cancellation of the court decisions in newly opened cases, and a criminal charge for the fact of fraud is also being prepared. It's being investigated, that the damage for the sum of 10 million wouldn't be possible for 13 enterprises. This sum was derived on the basis of fictitious reports about reasons for damage, and it was comprised by the local administrations. February 11th 2005 · Prague Watchdog Deportation anniversary mourning rally planned in Chechnya Timur Aliyev, North Caucasus – The Chechen human rights movement “Nokhchiin Nanoi” (“Mothers of Chechnya”) has proposed that a rally of national mourning be held in Grozny on February 23, dedicated to the victims of the Russian-Stalinist regime. The announcement was made in an appeal to the Chechen people, distributed by the movement. The rally is planned for the day of the 61st anniversary of the deportation of the Chechen and Ingush peoples (February 23, 1944) outside the “Koman Ziyarat” complex in Grozny. The movement intends to time this commemorative event to coincide with a protest demonstration against the continuing military operations in Chechnya, and to demand “the cessation of this insanely cruel and senseless war.” In addition, “at the rally it is proposed to hold discussions of such issues as the abduction of people and compensation payments to the victims of deportation, and to take resolutions on these issues,” the appeal states. To this end, the “Mothers of Chechnya” call on the following to join them: “the victims of deportation who are still alive; citizens of the republic who were born in exile; the mothers, widows, sisters of those who have been abducted, together with their portraits, and all others who still retain a faith in the triumph of justice, and a sense of their own dignity and that of the nation.” The movement has issued a separate appeal to people around the world which calls on them “to support us in our just demands and to come out on to the streets and squares of [your] cities, towns and villages with slogans demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops from our territory and their replacement by an international military peacekeeping contingent under the aegis of the UN.” 11.2.2005 Russian president sends birthday congratulations to dissidents’ henchman RUSSIA, Moscow. Russian president Vladimir Putin has sent a birthday telegram to the 85-year-old Georgi Morozov. The academic, a former director of the Serbsky psychiatric institute in Moscow, was one of the chief organisers of the infamous psychiatric onslaught against dissidents during the time of the USSR. Heading the Serbsky institute from the 1960’s through to the 1980’s, the academic was not only responsible for the system of psychiatric“treatment” against dissidents, but also signed judicial psychiatric diagnoses dooming dissidents to indefinite sentences in various categories of psychiatric hospitals. His signature stands on the expert judgements against well-known dissidents including the poet Natalia Gorbanevskaya, General Pyotr Grigorenko, Viktor Fainberg, and numerous others. The birthday telegram from the Russian president reads as follows: Dear Georgi Vasilyevich! Accept my congratulations to your 85th and the kindest of wishes. You were at the source of the foundation of the center of judicial psychiatry, and supervised this unique research establishment for many years. The multi-faceted creative, organisational and pedagogical activity has earned you the deserved recognition among colleagues and numerous scholars. To your health, your well-being and all the best! V. Putin. PRIMA News Agency [2005-02-08-Rus-15] TRANSNATIONAL RADICAL PARTY - www.radicalparty.org ROME (Italy)- Via di Torre Argentina 76 00186 tel ++39.06.689791 fax: ++39.06.68805396 radical.party@radicalparty.org Moscow: Rally in support of Akhmadov's peace plan, for an interim administration in Chechnya Date: February 23, 12:00 Lubyanskaya square, near the Solovetsky Stone RALLY In commemoration of the 61-st anniversary of genocide of Chechen and Ingush peoples (Stalin deportation of 1944) For the political settlement of the Russian - Chechen conflict by means of negotiations with the Chechen government of the president Maskhadov, for the termination of the 10-year colonial war in Chechnya In support of Ilyas Akhmadov's Peace Plan, for establishment of an interim UN administration in Chechnya and simultaneous withdrawal from the republic of all Russian forces and disarmament of all Chechen formations Organizers: Liberal and libertarian movement "Russian Radicals" (www.radikaly.ru) Transnational Radical Party (www.radicalparty.org) Democratic Union (www.ds.ru) (the list of organizers is open for adhesion) The rally will be conducted by the secretary of the "Russian Radicals" Nikolaj Khramov. The list of speakers is in process of formation and elaboration. The formal notification about realization of the rally, according to the law, was presented by the movement "Russian Radicals" to the prefecture of the Central administrative district of Moscow on February 9. We invite to participate in this demonstration all the opponents of the war in Chechnya! At the rally it will be possible to sign the appeal initiated by the TRP "For an interim UN administration in Chechnya", as of today it has been signed by over 36 thousand citizens from 114 countries of the world. The text of the appeal and the form for on-line adhesion are also available on the Internet on the sites www.radikaly.ru and www.radicalparty.org. Akhmadov's Peace Plan "Conditioned independence under an international management" as well is available on the site www.radikaly.ru. Human rights lawyer Magomadov freed Timur Aliyev, North Caucasus - Makhmut Magomadov, the human rights lawyer who disappeared in Chechnya last month, is back home again, announced Ruslan Badalov, chairman of the Chechen National Salvation Committee. Magomadov phoned Badalov on Saturday evening to tell him that he was home. "He said that he'd been held only one night. According to him, he was arrested by mistake as they confused him with another Magomadov. But after verifying the discrepancy in their ages, he was released. However, the freed human rights defender decided to take no chances and left the republic and only returned to Chechnya last evening," said Badalov. Nevertheless, representatives of the Chechen NGOs have cast doubt on this. "Evidently Magomadov was under threat and obliged to tell this particular story. Most likely he was arrested and only released after numerous appeals by international and human rights organizations." Makhmut Magomadov disappeared in Grozny on January 20. He is a legal expert with the International Helsinki Federation. From 1996 to 1999 he occupied the post of Deputy Procurator General of the Chechen Republic and led an investigative team conducting inquiries into kidnappings and disappearances. Source: Prague Watchdog |