We Fear for the Safety of Our Colleagues in the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society

Russian Human Rights Organization Threatened

Vienna, 19 March 2005. A legal and media campaign against the Russian Chechen Friendship Society (RCFS) has escalated to a point where the members of this human rights organization, which received the 2004 Recognition Award of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF), face physical danger. The IHF is appealing to the Russian authorities and media in Nizhny Novgorod to end their campaign of legal harassment, intimidation and media smears against the RCFS members, and to protect them from [threats of] violence by nationalist groups.

We fear for the safety of our colleagues in the Russian Chechen Friendship Society. We appeal to the Russian authorities to afford them protection, not harassment. We appeal to Russia’s partners in the international community to engage on behalf of human rights defenders in this organization, who are facing grave threats because of their fidelity to human rights principles, stated Aaron Rhodes, IHF Executive Director.

Threats by a Group Identifying Itself as the "Young Patriotic Front"

A media campaign associating the human rights organisation with Chechen terrorism is apparently coordinated with the work of a group acting under the name of the Young Patriotic Front”.

On 14 March, one of the main editors of the RCFS, Oksana Chelysheva, found a leaflet at the entrance of the house where she lives. This leaflet contained an appeal to the citizens of Nizhny Novgorod:

" The Young Patriotic Front (A.P. Ivanov): Dear fellow citizens! The whole world has tired of terrorists, parents fear for their children. Our country is suffering one tragedy after another, our sons and daughters are perishing; the young generation which is the future of our country is perishing. But there are "beasts" among us that are profiting from the tragedies afflicting the majority, from the enormous and unique grief any person feels who loses loved ones. These people live among us, they look like regular law-abiding citizen, but they support terrorist activities carried out by Chechen rebels, receive money from them and offer them all kinds of help. One of them lives among you, "Chechen (Editor: Insult deleted)" OKSANA CHELYSHEVA (Editor: here follows her address) She deserves shame and contempt! We are ready to fight her."

Media Campaign

Local media have tried to associate the work of the group to Chechen terrorism. On 29 January 2005, the internet news agency of Nizhny Novgorod, APN, published an article on its web-site with the title Freedom fighters or helpers of terrorists?” (http://www.apn-nn.ru/pub_s/126.html), in which legal experts accused the RCFS of open complicity with Chechen insurgents and warned that their activities in Nizhny Novgorod are dangerous for its inhabitants. According to the article, the existence of the RCFS in the Nizhny Novgorod area creates a risk for its inhabitants because the fact that this organization communicates with Chechen insurgents makes it possible for the latter mentioned to gather information about the region. Representatives of the RCFS work in the interest of illegal armed formations.”

On 12 March 2005, several local Nizhny Novgorod television channels, including RTR, aired a five-minute report, which claimed that the activities of the RCFS and its newspaper Pravozashchita” (Human Rights Defense”) are connected with Chechen rebels. In particular, the commentator declared that at the beginning of the war, texts published in the newspaper Pravozashchita were not written by employees of this newspaper but by Udugov ’s people.” Movladi Udugov is a prominent Chechen field commander.

Intimidating, politically motivated legal assault

Russian authorities have mounted a legal assault on the RCFS and Pravozashchita. The chair of RCFS, Stanislav Dimitrievsky, risks a five-year prison term on charges of publicly inciting a forceful change of the constitutional order of the Russian Federation” under Article 280, part 2, of the Russian Criminal Code. He is yet to be formally charged. In the course of the investigation, the Chechen branch of the FSB has also interrogated the eight associates (reporters) of the newspaper who work in Chechnya. Two of them felt so intimidated by the FSB interrogation that they quit their job immediately afterward.

At the same time, the main offices of the RCFS and the Nizhny Novgorod Society for Human Rights (NSHR), who jointly publish the Pravozashchita newspaper, have been subjected to further bureaucratic pressure”. On 28 February 2005, the registration service of the Ministry of Justice’s Nizhny Novgorod office initiated an off-schedule control of the RCFS and the NSHR, although the last regular control was implemented as late as in July 2004. During the control, Ministry of Justice officials also requested documents that they are not entitled to seize according to the federal law On Public Organizations”. The two NGOs refused to comply with these unlawful demands, which the Ministry of Justice officials interpreted as an administrative offence. Later on, the local tax inspection office also made a control of the RCFS.

The IHF has already expressed its concerns about the questioning on 20 January of Stanislav Dimitrievsky, the editor-in-chief of the RCSF Pravozashchita newspaper, and the following search conducted by the local FSB in the RCSF offices. During this search, issues of the newspaper, the newspaper’s statute and registration documents; internal regulations and labor contracts, including those of the newspaper’s correspondents in the Chechen Republic, were seized.(1)

Conclusion

Given the circumstances of this case, there are grounds to believe that the legal persecution and bureaucratic pressure” experienced by the RCFS have been deliberately implemented by the Russian authorities for the purpose of hindering the activities of this organization. The IHF is concerned that the safety of the RCFS employees both in Nizhny Novgorod and in the Chechen Republic is severely endangered.

For further information: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights In Vienna: Aaron Rhodes, IHF Executive Director, +43 – 1 – 408 88 22 or +43 - 676 – 635 66 12; Henriette Schroeder, IHF Press Officer, +43 – 676 – 725 48 29 In Moscow: Tanya Lokshina, +7-916 – 624 19 06 Russian-Chechen Friendship Society, Oksana Chelysheva, Stas Dimitrievsky, +7-8312-17 1666

(19  Given the climate of lawlessness that prevails in Chechnya, there are now fears that Pravozashchita correspondents run higher risks of being arbitrarily arrested, tortured or disappeared” by Chechen law enforcement agencies
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Joachim Frank, Project Coordinator International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights Wickenburggasse 14/7 A-1080 Vienna Tel. +43-1-408 88 22 ext. 22 Fax: +43-1-408 88 22 ext. 50 Web: http://www.ihf-hr.org
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PRESS-RELEASE #1211  FROM MARCH 16, 2005

Report from THE CHECHEN REPUBLIK

Shali district. Relatives of abducted people have been rallying for three days at the building of Shali district administration

16.03.2005. It’s three days since relatives of people abducted in the Chechen Republic for the last few days started rallying the building of Shali district administration. People participating in the rally are demanding from law-enforcement agencies and the district administration to assist them in their search for the missing people.

Relatives of Timur Kharonovich Rashidov (born 1976) are among the participants of the rally. He lived at 63 Aslambek Sheripov and was abducted by a group of the Russian military from his own house on 12 March 2005 (see our release No1207 from 14 March 2005). The mother of the abducted man, Khalipat Rashidova by name, told that her husband Kharon had died two months before. Her son is a seriously disabled person. On 12 March a group of the Russian military, who were riding in an APC and an “URAL” lorry, burst into Khalipat’s house and carried an unwarranted search. They also searched all the people who were in the house at that time. The woman told that the military tore the clothes off shoulders of her 18-year-old daughter Polina with the alleged purpose of checking whether there were any marks on her shoulders indicating that she carried firearms. On searching all the family members, the military seized Timur Rashidov and put him into the APC. After that they drove in the direction
of location place of “DON-2” Interior Ministry division in Shali district center.  While leaving, the military told Timur’s relatives that he would return soon. Then the military burst into Khalipat Rashidova’s neighbor’s house. Her surname is Saydullaeva. They carried an unwarranted search there too. Some valuables disappeared from the house in the search.

Ruslan Usaev’s (born 1983) relatives are also taking part in rallying the administration building. Ruslan is a 3rd year student of the Chechen State Pedagogical University. He is a native of Novye Atagi village of the Chechen Shali district where he lives at 28 Shosseynaya Street. On 13 March 2005, Ruslan was seized in his own house by the Russian military who took him away in the direction of Shali district center. According to his relatives, the abductors were riding in two “UAZ” cars of the 6th model. The Usaevs have appealed many times to all law-enforcement bodies but Ruslan’s whereabouts have not been established yet.

According to the people participating in the rally, their protest action has brought some results. On 14 March a resident of Serzhen-Yurt village Bel’khaev was released by the Russian military after he had been detained in his own house. Four residents of the village of Avtury were also released. According to the people, all of them were released after having been beaten up. (From our correspondent)

Grozny. The court trial of Lapin’s case is postponed due to the absence of his barrister

On 14 March 2005, the court trial of the case of a senior lieutenant of Khanty-Mansi OMON Sergey Lapin could have continued at the court of Oktyabrsky district of Grozny. Lapin is charged with the arbitrary detention and subsequent torture of a resident of Grozny Zelimkhan Murdalov in 2002 (see our release No1022 from 22 November 2004 and No1113 from 26 January 2005). However, the court trial has been postponed until 15 March as the barrister of the accused didn’t come to the court hearing. The reason for his being absent is not clear. The barrister hasn’t considered it important to inform the judges about these reasons. (From our correspondent)


PRESS-RELEASE #1212  FROM MARCH 16, 2005

Report from THE CHECHEN REPUBLIK

Grozny. Law enforcement officers brutally beat Grozniy resident

March 14, 2005.  Law enforcement officers of the Chechen president brutally beat 29 year-old Magomed Zubaev in the city of Grozniy. Zubaev is a resident in 12th mini district, corpus 33, ap.2, in the Oktyabrskiy district of Grozniy.

According to the victim, on March 14, 2005, around 5:30 p.m., he was stopped by law enforcement officers not far from the central market with the pretext of checking documents.  Since Zubaev did not have any documents at the time that established his identity, the officers began beating him.  They then threatened Zubaev with their machine guns and told him to accompany them to his home. On arriving there, the officers threw him into his own yard and continued the beating.  Zubaev’s parents were in the home at the time, and they were extremely terrified at what was going on.  With the purpose of intimidating them even more, the officers opened fire with their automatic weapons below Zubaev’s feet, and also over his head.  Luckily, Zubeaev’s parents were not injured.

When the officers left, Magomed Zubaev was brought in a grave condition to city hospital number 9, where he was diagnosed with a concussion, numerous bruises, fractures of the10th and the 11th ribs.

Elderly woman victim of traffic accident

March 14, 2005.  Around 10 a.m. a car of the make UAZ 2109 of gray color hit an elderly woman on the Staropromysly highway.  The woman died from her injuries at the location of the accident.  The personal information of the deceased has not been established. (From our correspondent)


PRESS-RELEASE #1213  FROM MARCH 17, 2005

Report from THE CHECHEN REPUBLIK

Grozny. Residents of a temporary accommodation station are being pushed from their rooms

On 15 March 2005, the staffers of the Migration Service of the Chechen Republic made an attempt to move people residing in the temporary accommodation station situated at 11a Tukhachevsky Street in Grozny without their agreement. The Migration Service occupies part of this very building.

The officials stated that they needed the rooms occupied by forced migrants to provide the commission on compensations payment with the premises for work (Ramzan Kadyrov was appointed the chairperson of this commission by the decree of the chairperson of the government of the Russian Federation from 15 March 2005). The residents of this temporary accommodation station were told to collect all their belongings and to move to some other TASs. However, the majority of the residents that are being pushed out of their rooms expressed their indignation and refused to leave their rooms.  As of the present moment, the conflict situation seems likely to be resolved soon due to the involvement of staffers of the law consultation at the “Memorial” human rights center into mediation between the officials and residents of the TAS. (From our correspondent)


PRESS-RELEASE #1214  FROM MARCH 17, 2005

Report from THE CHECHEN REPUBLIK

Achkhoy-Martan district. The head of the Achkhoy-Martan village administration is dismissed for his post

On 17 March, 2005, a meeting was held at the administration of Achkhoy-martan district center. The head of the district administration Ali Dalnaev announced about his resignation.  There has been no information about the new official appointed to the post.

Concert to celebrate the birthday of a little dancer in Achkhoy-Martan

On 16 March 2005 in the House of Culture of Achkhoy-Martan district center there was a concert dedicated to the birthday of a gifted dancer Mansur Musev who became  twelve yesterday. The official delegation of the Chechen government attended the concert. It was headed by the deputy  Minister of culture Adlan Mezhidov. There were such well-known people in the delegation as the head of Achkhoy-Martan district administration Ali Dalnaev, the director of the folk art center Ramzan Daudov, a representative of the public organization “Lamanan Shovda” Apty Aldamov, a poet Umar Yarychev, the manager of the unemployment agency for the disabled Petimat Berieva, a journalist for “The News of Republic” newspaper Malika Abulaeva, a reporter of “The Capital” newspaper Zina Fyodorova.

All the people congratulated Mansur Musaev on his birthday, wished him every success in his career and presented him with valuable gifts, including a tape recorder, flowers, and different toys. Apty Aldamov presented Mansur with a composition in the form of Vainakh fighting towers that was created by disabled people. (From our correspondent)




Prosecutors Withhold Real Death Toll of Moscow Theater Siege — Lawyer

Created: 17.03.2005 13:25 MSK (GMT +3),

MosNews

The Moscow Prosecutor's Office has hidden 45 deaths from the toll of the Nord-Ost theater siege, Karina Moskalenko, a defense lawyer was quoted by the Kommersant daily as saying. She says that 174 people died in the Dubrovka theatre, not 129.

The lawyer spotted the discrepancy in the number of victims after examining an Oct. 2003 resolution that announced no criminal case would be opened into the theater siege because all the terrorists were killed, the newspaper writes. Moskalenko stressed that the higher death toll did not include the terrorists, who were said to have numbered 40.

Moskalenko only received a copy of the resolution in November 2004. The documents included the Moscow Prosecutor's Office resolution on the refusal to initiate criminal proceedings against the Special Forces' officers and doctors who took part in the operation to free the hostages. Among the documents were also 11 "unclassified" case volumes that prosecutors are investigating at the moment.

Having examined the documents Moskalenko insisted on questioning the head of the Moscow Prosecutor's Office's investigation group, Vladimir Kolchyuk, who halted the legal proceedings. Her petition was granted and the official will appear in court on April 3.

However, the Prosecutor General's Office denies Moskalenko's claims, and representatives from the Moscow Prosecutor's Office described them as "speculation on the people's sorrow".

912 spectators at the Nord-Ost musical were taken hostage by a Chechen terrorist group led by Movsar Barayev on Oct. 23, 2002. 114 people died during the siege and the rest of them in hospitals. Almost all the deaths have been blamed on the narcotic gas Special Forces pumped into the theater to subdue the terrorists.



Kavkaz Center

Civil protests in Chechen Republic

For three days, relatives of those abducted in Chechnya in the last few days have been picketing outside Shali District Administration. The protesters demand that members of security forces and local authorities cooperated to release the abducted persons.

The protesters included relatives of disabled resident of Serzhen-Yurt village, Shali district, Timour Rashidov born in 1976 who was abducted from his home by a group of the Russian military. 12 March they burst into his house and without explanations carried out an unauthorised search of all the rooms and body searches of all the family members.

The military tore the clothes off Timour’s sister Polina allegedly to check for evidence of carrying weapons. Then they put Timour into an armoured personnel carrier telling the family that he would be back soon and drove off in the direction of security forces division Don-2 station in Shali. They then forced entry into the house next-door and carried out another search which resulted in disappearance of some valuables.

Among the protesters were also family members of resident of Novye Ataghi village, Shali district, Rouslan Usayev, a third-year student of Pedagogical University born in 1983. On 13 March he was taken from his home and transported in the direction of Shali by members of federal security forces. Despite enquiries Usayev family made at various law enforcement agencies, Rouslan’s whereabouts remain unknown.

According to the pickets, the protest has already yielded results. On 14 March resident of Serzhen-Yurt village Belkhaev who had been abducted from his home by the Russian military the previous day was released. Four residents of Avtoury village, Shali district, were also freed. According to the protesters, all the abducted were subjected to brutal beatings.

PRIMA

2005-03-19