| PACE Rapporteur on Chechnya appeals to
Strasbourg hunger-striker Strasbourg, 16.01.2006 – Rudolf Bindig, who is the rapporteur of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) on human rights violations in the Chechen Republic, has appealed to Said-Emin Ibragimov, a Chechen human rights activist based in Strasbourg who has been on hunger strike for more than a month, to end his fast. Mr Ibragimov, a former Chechen Information Minister and boxing champion who is now in a very weak condition, is calling on the international community to do more to resolve the situation in Chechnya. In a letter delivered to Mr Ibragimov, Mr Bindig wrote: “The disastrous human rights situation in the Chechen Republic remains a matter of the highest concern. I will personally continue my efforts to put an end to the unacceptable sufferings of your people, which needs human rights defenders alive. So I appeal to you to stop urgently your hunger strike and to restore your forces and energy to help me and your people in this huge task.” The German parliamentarian, who has visited the Chechen Republic many times, expressed his deep concern for the sufferings of the Chechen people. His report, due to be debated by PACE on 25 January during its Winter Session, says human rights violations there continue to occur on a massive scale in a climate of impunity and that Europe’s governments have failed to address them in a regular, serious and intensive manner. Contact: Communication Unit of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Tel. +33 3 88 41 31 93 Fax +33 3 90 21 41 34; e-mail: pace.com@coe.int http://press.coe.int/cp/2006/018a(2006).htm A.Idigov: "The offer of PACE in reply to the action of S-E. Ibragimov gives hope" CHECHENPRESS, the Department of interview, 17.01.06. In Strasbourg from 12 until 13 January 2006 there was the delegation led by Akhiad Idigov. The occasion for the trip of delegation became that fact, that the European politicians, deputies and reporters of PACE - Anders Herkel, Marko Mihelson and Rudolph Binding have replied to the appeal of Chechen human rights activist S-E Ibragimov, starving at walls of PACE headquarter. Below is offered the brief interview to [with] A.Idigov. * * * - Assalam Aleikum, Akhiad! Tell please, what was the reason that the delegation arrived in Strasbourg to meet with S-E. Ibragimov, what purposes did you pursue? - Va Aleikum Assalam, Said-Husein! - this was not the delegation, these were people who have decided to be together with S-E Ibragimov and to offer him to stop his hunger-strike. Tepsaev Apti - the philosopher and the public figure, Hussein Bitelgiriev - the poet and scholar, widely known as the executor of his and other authors, patriotic songs about our Native land, I and others - The main reason of that we have decided to visit Strasbourg right now was the fact that, after the long days of hunger-strike of S-E Ibragimov there have not been the reaction to his requirements from the European politicians. Such situation has been developed, as it is explained, because all members of European institutes, Commission of the United Nations under human rights, Europarliament and PACE, were on a New Year's vacation in their countries. And Chechen human rights activist is on the verge of death, and is not going to recede from his intention. Then those people, with whom I went to Strasbourg, and still others, undertook steps on an establishment of contact to the politicians in their countries. It was possible to make some important contacts to inform influential politicians about the action which has been undertaken by S-E Ibragimov. Many of them have responded. Vitautas Landsbergis, the deputy of Europarliament, has made the special announcement in this occasion and distributed it among politicians. And at a meeting in Paris where the deputies of PACE gathered, as it was earlier informed, deputies have seriously decided not to wait the time of the beginning of session in PACE January 23, 2006, and have addressed to S-E Ibragimov. With this offer from PACE, on behalf of his main characters - reporters, we went to Strasbourg. We were going to convince our right protector, who has been strongly weakened for 35 days of hunger-strike to stop it and to start the cooperation with those people from PACE who have stretched to us a hand for cooperation, taking into account the realization of those offers which are proposed by S-E Ibragimov. - What is the result of your meeting with Ibragimov, how has he reacted to the offer from deputies of PACE and to your request to stop hunger-strike? After all, in the press there was the information that the Special commission of PACE is created on consideration of Ibragimov's offers, does not it work? I think that the trip was useful. We have found S-E Ibragimov in good condition of spirit in spite of the fact that this courageous person has passed through such long period of hunger-strike. During our conversation he once was in condition, which refers to as "felt bad" and we immediately went away, in order not to overload him, and came in hospital next day to continue our conversation. In my opinion, there is a danger of that, he, losing from time to time the control over his health, may commit something irretrievable, and his relatives and close friends are afraid of it. Our arrival and the appeal of European deputies Ibragimov apprehended with the great pleasure. He told, that he is ready to accept with gratitude the offers of deputies of PACE Anders Herkel, Marko Mihelson and Rudolph Bindig, but refused to stop hunger-strike. An occasion was that S-E. Ibragimov as he expressed, still can continue hunger-strike, despite the state of health. However all of us disagreed with him and offered not to risk the life and to accept the offer of representatives of PACE, as the unique hand, stretched to us for today which may enable to lift to us on a high level a question of the Chechen problem. Said-Emin was unshakable, and asked to thank from his name the deputies of PACE for their care and offer. The question on existence of the Special commission of PACE for consideration of offers of Chechen right protection is discussed in press, and I think, that it is the information not unreasonable but to consider it is yet possible, unfortunately, only as precursor of that it would be desirable to make it when PACE from January, 23, 2006 starts to be in session. It seems to me, that offers of deputies of PACE would be necessary to accept and start negotiations in the international institutes with attraction of these important politicians of EU, as state of health of S-E. Ibragimov causes in all at us fear. But we will hope for the best, everything is in hands of Supreme and to lose hope we may not. - We thank you for interview - Let Supreme gives power and patience to struggle in common for liberation and prosperity of our independent Chechen Republic Ichkerjia. Amin! Aliev Said-Husein has conducted the interview. http://www.chechenpress.co.uk/english/news/2006/01/17/03.shtml Monday, January 16, 2006. Issue 3331. Page 2. Joint Military Exercises Criticized The Associated Press STOCKHOLM -- Two Swedish human rights organizations on Sunday criticized joint Swedish-Russian military exercises to be held in Sweden and said the Russian soldiers taking part were guilty of gross human rights violations in Chechnya. Robert Hardh, chairman of the Swedish Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, and Martin Uggla, chairman of the Swedish Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights, said in an article in the newspaper Svenska Dagbladet that Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov had called the weeklong military maneuver "an exercise in fighting terrorism" while the Swedish government had called it a "peacekeeping operation" authorized by the United Nations. The two chairmen claimed that "fighting terrorism" is a Russian term for the war in Chechnya. Hardh and Uggla said that Russia was to send the 138th motorized rifle brigade to Sweden, which "like most other military units" was guilty of gross violations of human rights during its time in Chechnya. "Sweden should ... send an unambiguous signal that human rights violations in Chechnya are not acceptable. But in practice, the government acts in a way that lends legitimacy to atrocities and war crimes," they said. Swedish Defense Minister Leni Bjorklund said it was important that Russian units come to Sweden for exercises "to learn about relations between conscripts and officers" in Sweden. "We also think it is important to learn about our view on how to behave during missions and that we believe that one should be very careful about human rights when handling international crisis situations," she said. "In bilateral contacts at the government level, it is no secret that we are highly critical of what they are doing in Chechnya," she said. The exercises will start Thursday in northernmost Sweden and run through Jan. 26. Ivanov and Bjorklund made the announcement of the joint exercises during a visit by the Swedish defense minister to Moscow in October last year. The Swedish Helsinki Committee for Human Rights is an independent nongovernmental organization that monitors human rights and supports projects to improve democracy and civil society. The Swedish Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights is also a nongovernmental organization based in Stockholm. |