|
Statement:
inaction results in new tragedies
To UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights
To UN High Commissioner for Refugees
To CoE Commissioner for Human Rights
To Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
To International Committee of Red Cross
Dear Sirs,
Chechen non-governmental organizations and mass media have repeatedly
called your attention to the problem of Chechen refugees in Azerbaijan,
especially to an extreme danger of the return of young men back to the
Chechen Republic where they are likely to be subjected to persecution,
tortures, killings and disappearances, i.e. crimes which the world practice
defines as extrajudicial executions.
For some unclear reasons you have ignored the numerous appeals as a
result of which new tragedies occur. Nonetheless, judging by your further
actions, or rather inaction, neither this nor other publications and
appeals found response from you, i.e. those whose duty is to stand up
for human rights regardless of nationality, race, religion and citizenship.
Your ignoring human rights and discriminative approach to Chechens resulted
in another tragedy in the great number of crimes committed by Russian
troops in Chechnya.
And to the point... Desperate of finding means for living and because
of the necessity to attend the funeral of a relative, a group of young
Chechens decided to return to Chechnya, where, according to President
Putin, the hostilities ended in the summer 2001, and now the republic
awaits another "election." It is noteworthy that the illegal election
in Chechnya causes no particular protest from your side, and according
to PACE Secretary General Walter Schwimmer, you are going to discuss
the problem of the upcoming "election" in Chechnya, whereas it is obvious
even to an outsider that elections cannot be conducted in war conditions.
The details of the tragedy which took place:
In the night on April 1, 2003, a group of young Chechens left Baku and
headed for the Chechen Republic:
Ismail Eliyevich Elzhurkayev from the settlement of Chiri-Yurt, born
in 1975, who lived in Baku for more than two years and had a refugee
mandate issued by the UNHCR office in Azerbaijan;
Ibragim Eliyevich Elzhurkayev from the settlement of Chiri-Yurt, born
in 1976 (Ismail Elzhurkayev's brother), stayed in Baku for four months
(not registered with the UNHCR office);
Khamzat Salambekovich Ilyasov from the settlement of Chiri-Yurt, born
in 1975, also stayed in Baku for four months, (not registered with the
UNHCR office);
Early in the morning on April 2 they arrived to Grozny and hired a taxi
to get to Chiri-Yurt. Bauddi Balavdinovich Davletbiyev, a Chechen refugee
from Ingushetia, joined them and the four of them set off but they did
not reach the destination.
At 11 a.m. on April 2 at the "Melnitsa" roadblock at the entrance to
the village of Starye Atagi federal troops stopped the taxi and ordered
all of them to get out. Without checking the documents the four refugees
were told that they are detained for a check-up by the order from above.
The Chechens had their hands tied, blindfolded and taken behind the
roadblock. According to representatives of the given unit, the order
to detain the young men was allegedly given by General Umar Pashayevich
Khanaliyev of the Russian Regional Operative Headquarters located at
the "Khankala" military base. Later the taxi driver, severely beaten
up by Russian troops but released some time later on condition of keeping
silence, told about it.
The relatives who rushed to search for the missing without delay have
a document which says that the command of the "Melnitsa" roadblock at
Starye Atagi confirms the fact of the detention of the brothers Elzhurkayevs,
Ilyasov and Davletbiyev, and which also states that after a check-up
it turned out that the given men had nothing to do with the illegal
armed formations, i.e. it establishes the fact that the detainees were
common civilians.
The relatives also say that the given Chechens had already been detained
during a so-called "zachistka" in the settlement of Chiri-Yurt on May
14, 2001, and for eight days they were subjected to inhuman tortures
and torments at a Russian military unit deployed in the Shali district,
where secret services tried to force the young men to confess they were
a part of the Chechen Resistance. When released the young Chechens were
issued a document confirming they had nothing in common with the illegal
armed formations. After the release they needed urgent medical help.
In order to provide the young Chechens with qualified medical help and
rehabilitation, the relatives sent them to Baku. This is a short background
of the tragedy which took place after the Chechen refugees returned
home from Azerbaijan.
Although the relatives still cherish faint hopes to find the missing
men, we believe that Ismal Elzhurkayev, Ibragim Ilzhurkayev, Khamzat
Ilyasov and Bauddi Davletbyev disappeared without trace. At the moment
Russian secret services widely practice such abductions when dead bodies,
and often even alive but tormented Chechens, are blown up with guided
mines or trotyl which leave no remains. Thousands of young Chechens
disappeared this way.
Dear Sirs,
We are firmly confirmed that you are aware of the situation in Chechnya
and if you have at least a drop of sympathy for others' grief, we urge
you to interfere in the current lawlessness, we also earnestly urge
you to follow your duties thereby helping the suffering relatives to
find if not alive then the dead bodies of the young men which must be
buried according to religious traditions.
Dear Sirs,
We have repeatedly asked you to interfere in the catastrophic situation
of Chechen refugees in Azerbaijan which is clearly discriminative. We
urge you to explain in common and understandable words why Chechen refugees
are denied the full 1951 status what results in terrible tragedies,
otherwise your indifference to the suffering and misfortunes of the
Chechen people makes us conclude you are engaged in the crimes of the
Russian military.
Dear Sirs,
What scope shall the tragedy in the Chechen Republic reach for you to
notice, respond and stop the large-scale outrage, at least with respect
to violations of human rights?
With hope for assistance and salvation -
Maierbek TARAMOV,
Director of the Chechen Human Rights Center.
Baku, Azerbaijan 11.09.03
CONTACT INFORMATION
251 Dilara Aliyeva St., apt. 29
Baku 370010
Azerbaijan
Tel: 994 12 93 35 81
Mobile: 994 50 331 91 49
E-mail: editor@kvestnik.org
[11.09.2003
11:15] Maierbek Taramov
The
Chechen Times
|