The below appeal of the residents of the settlement of Starye Atagi was adopted
at the village meeting on February 28, 2002, and is addressed to the Russian people,
presidents, leaders of the UN and OSCE member-states, the President of the Russian
Federation V. Putin, the Representative of the Russian President in the Southern
Federal District V. Kazantsev, the Russian Prosecutor General V. Ustinov, the
Representative of the Russian President for human rights in the Chechen Republic
V. Kalamanov, the deputy of the Russian State Duma A. Aslakhanov, the member of
the Council of the Federation A. Zavgayev, the head of the pro-Moscow Chechen
administration A. Kadyrov, the military commandant of the Chechen Republic S.
Kizyun, the prosecutor of the Chechen Republic V. Chernov.
We, the residents of the settlement of Starye Atagi, appeal for help to peoples,
presidents, human rights groups, to all together and each individual in particular
- save us from extermination!
For the third consecutive year, 30 months, 860 days, the Chechen people has been
exterminated under the guise of an "antiterrorist operation"! Hundreds of thousands
of dead, wounded, more than 6,000 missing after detentions by Russian force structures,
tens of thousands of beaten, humiliated, who passed through and are still going
through the filtration camps!
The tragedy of Chechnya and the Chechen people seems to worry no one, only sometimes
leaders of separate countries "express their concern." Russia's President Putin,
Russian politicians talk about us as an inalienable part of Russia, whereas the
Russian army, MVD, FSB and other force structures, encouraged by total impunity,
continue killing us - killing all of us, torturing all of us, humiliating all
of us: law-abiding but not too loyal to Russia, believing that the only way to
salvation - is independence, young, old, men and women, teenagers and children.
From September 1999 to February 28, 2002, 102 civilian residents of the village
were killed, including 20 people who fell victims of extrajudicial executions,
the amount of loot and extortions cannot be measured.
From January 2000 to January 2002 Starye Atagi were subjected to 21 punitive operations,
the so-called "checks of the passport regime." The result of these checks is as
follows:
1. January 28, 2000 - 58 detainees, absolutely innocent people, later relatives
were forced to ransom them from the pre-trial center in Chernokozovo; 36 hijacked
vehicles, none of which was returned.
2. June 29, 2000 - unauthorized searches, robbery, including wall clocks and video,
as well as pension allowances.
3. August 3, 2000 - tens of cars and trucks were taken away, later villagers had
to buy them out.
4. September 5-8, 2000 - about 20 innocent people were detained, later machine-guns
were demanded for their release. The federals took everything - from shoes and
sports wear to video. On September 7, 2000, E.D.Isayev, a refugee, was taken away
from the village hospital in the APC P-107. On September 12 his dead body was
discovered in a grave in the outskirts of the village: he was scalped, all the
fingers were cut off. All the detainees were subjected to beatings, tortures,
including by electroshock.
5. September 29 - November 1, 2000 - representatives of the village accompanied
each group of federals, which is, probably, why the check-up was more or less
within the law. G. Idigov, a detainee, was beaten severely.
6. January 3, 2001 - unauthorized searches-pogroms in the houses. Several vehicles
with documents were seized (Charayev, Ismailov, Yandayev, Taisumov, Shidayev).
The Oibuyevs, Sadykovs, Mishayevs, and other families lost TV sets, computers,
video recorders. The federals also killed a cow with calf of H. Shakhgiriyev.
7. January 14-16, 2001 - on the Nagornaya street Russians opened fire at the women,
who begged not to take away a TB patient. Zulai Demilkhanova, born in 1949, was
killed; 5 women were wounded in legs and bellies. 30 people were detained. All
of them, except for A. Zaurbekov and A. Hasarov (their mutilated bodies were discovered
on January 27 in a sand-pit), were released after beatings and tortures. Criminal
proceedings were allegedly instigated into the murder, however the murderers were
not made accountable, the victims received no aid. The house of S. Tasuyev on
the H. Nuradilov street was set on fire.
8. March 2, 2001 - A. Bashayev and S.-M. Khamzatov were detained, on television
they were accused of all possible sins, but some time later - both of them were
released. At 4:15 a.m. federals blew up the motor bridge across the river of Argun.
9. May 30-31, 2001 - searches, robbery. A motorcycle was taken away and thrown
into a canal, a heifer of A. Darayev was killed. A. Nasukhanov, detained earlier,
was released several days later.
10. June 10, 2001 - two officers of the village police were disarmed, later their
weapons were returned. Indiscriminate searches-pogroms in the houses, robbery.
11. June 24-25, 2001 - searches in the evening. After a military vehicle blew
up on a mine indiscriminate fire was opened at the village. H. Ulubayev, 47, was
killed, 19 people were detained and later severely beaten. A. Gekhayev, a local
resident, was tied to an APC and dragged on the ground with a sand bag on his
chest. All of the detainees were released, they were forced to give written statements
they had no claims on the federals. A mosque, which is being built in the north-eastern
part of the village, was blown up.
12. July 4-5, 2001 - some village quarters were blocked, federals extorted money
under different pretexts.
13. July 8-10, 2001 - searches in the houses, many doors in the local school were
forced open, the movement in the village was limited.
14. August 3-4, 2001 - 15 people were detained. All of them, except for Z. Elmurzayev,
were released two days later. A quarter mosque was exploded.
15. September 27 - October 6, 2001 - more than 200 people went through a "filter"
- from teenagers to 70-year-old men. Many cars were seized, later villagers had
to buy them out. Audio systems, accumulators, etc. were stolen from the cars.
Searches and robbery in the houses. Two vehicles were burnt. 8 cars were never
returned. 3 rebel fighters were killed during a battle.
16. November 7-10, 2001 - searches, robbery, mass extortions for not taking young
men away. Women also were subjected to searches. Elmurzayev, a village resident,
was tortured with a welding machine, fingers cut with a knife, to make him confess
he was a rebel. More than 20 people were detained. After severe beatings and tortures
all of them were released. Threatening to blow up the house of L. Ibragimov, living
in the Nuradilov street, federals demanded 10,000 rubles from him. All of the
residents of the Beregovaya street paid money to the military. They took away
refrigerators, electric generators, TV sets, etc.
17. November 28-29, 2001 - S. Astamirov was detained, at about 8 p.m. he was thrown
out of a vehicle in Grozny, near the square of Peoples' Friendship. Federals took
his money, the passport, a coat and a hat from Zh. Chulikov, he was released on
November 30.
18. December 26-30, 2001 - searches, robbery, extortions. Grenades were thrown
into the basements of dwelling houses, a shop in the Tsvetochnaya street was robbed.
Having forced all the residents of a house in the Tsentralnya street, the federals
searched the house of the Matsiyevs for several hours, on January 1 the house
exploded. Adam Matsiyev, 75, Ayub Matsiyev, Zarema Matsiyeva, Yusup Matsiyev died.
No investigation into the incident was conducted. The detainees (about 20 people)
were released when the "operation" was over.
19. January 28 - February 4, 2002, more than 30 people were detained. All of them
were beaten up, some of them - tortured, including by electroshock. On February
1 the head of the village administration and 8 officers of the village administration,
who tried to find out the reason for shooting the military began in the Nagornaya
street, were disarmed and beaten up. The policemen were released only on February
11, 2002. Harassment of women, raping attempts. Having forced open the door of
a chapel at the village cemetery, the military stole carpets, basins for the dead,
wooden benches, chairs, etc. Russians prevented local residents from helping Yushayeva,
who was pregnant, as a result of which the baby died. So far nothing has been
known about the fate of M. Chekuyev, born in 1954, an invalid, the father of five,
who was detained on January 30. A pogrom, robbery and an explosion in the house
of the Kadyrovs in the Beregovaya street. Extorting 1,000 rubles from E. Demelkhanov
Russians shot through his arm.
20. February 8, 2002 - 4 streets of the village were blocked, searches, a boorish
attitude.
21. February 12-19, 2002 - a murder of 4 Russian troops, who entered the village
on February 12 at 10 a.m. in a Zhiguli car caused a punitive operation. The villages
of Starye Atagi, Novye Atagi, Chiri-Yurt were cordoned off, and the punitive operation
began. In the night on February 12, at about 10 p.m. 16 men aged from 19 to 65
and living in the H. Nuradilov street (not far from the place were the Russian
soldiers died) were detained. From early morning till evening they and other detainees
were forced to stand with their hand up and legs apart at a wall, any movement
was punished with severe beatings with rifle butts, metal sticks, all of them
were humiliated. Severely beaten: V. Kushaliyev, 63, - 41,000 rubles and golden
jewelry was seized from him; S.-H. Jamayev, 50, M.Ortsayev, 44. In total 40 people
had to go through a "filter," the whereabouts of Badruddi Vagapov is not known.
None of the detained had any relations to the resistance or hostilities. The houses
of the Sadayevs and Asimovs were blown up, many neighboring houses were also damaged,
especially in the Nagornaya street. The house of L. Dadayev, 70, was turned into
ruins only because several rebel fighters or young men, who did not want to be
detained by the chasteners, ran through his land.
For about an hour L. Dadayev stayed in the house which came under fire. He hardly
remained alive. Aside from the house, a Zhiguli car was destroyed. During a battle
in the Nuradilov street the house of the Umiyevs was destroyed, neighboring houses
were also seriously damaged. The military even did not bother evacuating civilians
from the neighboring houses, instead they robbed other houses.
On February 19, 2002, a military column leaving Starye Atagi threw away the burnt
bodies of previously detained Ruslan Mezhidov, 35, Movsar Nasukhanov, 22, and
Movladi Nasukhanov, 20, earlier a half-burnt dead body of Abu Gekhayev, 31, was
given out, although federals arrested him alive and healthy. Hussein Zakrailov,
a resident of Chiri-Yurt, the father of four, was beaten to death. His dead body
was given out on February 19 and buried at the cemetery of Starye Atagi. Neither
Zakrailov, nor Nasukhanovs or Gekhayev were killed in a street skirmish, they
had no weapons along them. All of them fell the victims of extrajudicial executions
by the Russian military.
As a result of 21 "special operations" none of the detainees was officially charged
with anything or sentenced - all of them, except for the dead, were later released
because they were civilians, law-abiding citizens having no relation to bandits,
terrorists, the Chechen resistance.
Each time federals rob and destroy local enterprises and what remains of them.
So, for example, in order to get firewood Russians broke the roof of a brick factory,
including 150 roofing slate plates. Previously a tile factory was destroyed, there
is no chance to start enterprises located in the outskirts of the village, in
total 100 jobs, a village water pumping station has been occupied by Russian troops
from a road-block for about two years. That is why the villagers have to take
water from the river of Argun, irrigation canals - which increases the number
of infectious diseases.
We provide some facts of the terror against the residents of the settlement of
Starye Atagi from the side of Russian troops. People are afraid of making complaints,
because neither local authorities, nor the prosecutor's office or courts react
to our complaints, and those who make complaints suffer even more, for example
- R. Maayev, the director of the cement factory (his house and the house of his
father were repeatedly subjected to pogroms, especially after a complaint against
the Russian troops).
To make the picture complete we will publish the lists of the dead from our village.
However, none of those responsible for the crimes were made accountable.
We demand a special commission to be set up in order to investigate all the crimes
committed by the military in the settlement of Starye Atagi.
We believe that federals deliberately drive the population of Chechnya to mass
protest actions to later organize a mass massacre.
While President V. Putin tries to return Chechen refugees back home, we are driven
out of our houses - after a "zachistka" on February 12-19, 2002, several thousands
of villagers left Starye Atagi and now a mass outflow of residents is expected.
We see that neither international law, nor the Russian Constitution which guarantees
the right to life (Article 20), freedom and personal security (Article 21), inviolability
of the home (Article 25), freedom of movement, choice of place of living (Article
27), state protection of private property (Article 35), protection from arbitrary
deprivation of housing (Article 40), protection of health and medical aid (Article
41).
We appeal to the Russian people with the following words: "Russia is going to
revive neither on Chechen or someone else's blood, and the Russian people is not
going to become happier! Speak against the extermination of the Chechen people,
urge politicians and the military to be reasonable! You shall know that everything
your sons bring from Chechnya was either stolen, seized from us, taken from still
warm dead bodies of our sons, brothers, husbands!"
The chairman of the meeting of Starye Atagi's residents A. Solsayev