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IHF Appeals for Effective Human Rights Dialogue and More Attention to Abuses in Chechnya on the Eve of the EU-Russia Summit in Moscow on 10 May 2005 Vienna/ Brussels, 4 May 2005. On the eve of the EU-Russia summit on 10 May, the IHF calls on the EU to ensure that human rights are incorporated as a key element in all its bilateral relations with Russia and to make effective use of the opportunity that its cooperation with the Russian government offers to encourage changes in human rights practices in Russia. The IHF welcomes the EU-Russia consultations on human rights and fundamental freedoms, the first of which were held in March 2005, as an important step in promoting bilateral human rights dialogue. The IHF would, however, like to caution that this development must not result in weakened attention being given to human rights issues in other bilateral fora. In contrast, such issues should be a continued and consistent focus of all EU-Russia cooperation, as foreseen by the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), article 2 of which establishes that "[r]espect for democratic principles and human rights as defined in the Helsinki Final Act, and the Charter of Paris for a new Europe, underpins the internal and external policies of the Parties and constitutes an essential element of partnership [.]" In particular, the IHF urges the EU to use its leverage within the EU-Russia partnership to press for an end to the vicious cycle of human rights violations in Chechnya. The IHF regrets that no resolution about Chechnya was tabled by the EU at this year's UN Human Rights Commission and believes that it is therefore imperative that the EU addresses Russia about its policies in Chechnya at the upcoming summit. With the second war in Chechnya in its sixth year, all sides continue to engage in serious abuses against civilians, including "disappearances," torture and extrajudicial killings. The Human Rights Center "Memorial" estimates that between 3,000 and 5,000 people have "disappeared" since the current conflict in Chechnya started in 1999. In 2004 alone, Memorial documented 396 cases where people were abducted, out of whom 207 remained "disappeared" and 24 had been found murdered as of February 2005.(1) Also authorities have admitted a high number of "disappearances." At the end of 2004, the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation stated that 2,437 persons had been abducted in Chechnya since 1999 and that the fate of 2,090 remained unknown.(2) Most cases of "disappearances" have been perpetrated by governmental agents, either federal forces or, as is increasingly the case, pro-Moscow Chechen security forces. Only few cases of human rights violations perpetrated in Chechnya have been investigated and prosecuted, as a result of which a climate of impunity and fear prevails. To date, only one serviceman has been convicted for torture or disappearance in connection with the conflict in Chechnya. The lack of accountability perpetuates the conflict and contributes to further abuses. Further compounding the problem, law enforcement officials who show readiness to deal effectively with abuses may jeopardize their own security. # In March 2004, the case of Rashid Ozdoev, who in his role as deputy prosecutor of Ingushetia had been investigating abuses by security services in and around Chechnya, was "disappeared" in March 2004 by a group of plain-clothed men believed to represent the Ingush Department of the Federal Security Service (FSB). There has not been any effective official investigation into the case and the local prosecutor's office has failed to take action on the basis of a confession that Ozdoev's relatives obtained from one of the men involved in his abduction.(3) Because of the extremely limited opportunities of obtaining redress within the Russian judicial system, a growing number of victims of human rights violations in Chechnya and relatives of human rights violations have brought their cases to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Tragically, numerous applicants to the ECtHR have been subjected to repressive measures, including "disappearances" and extrajudicial executions. # In April 2004, 24-year-old Anzor Pokaev was abducted from his home in Starye Atagi and subsequently extra-judicially executed. Pokaev is the son of one of 11 applicants to the ECtHR in a case that involves the "disappearance" of nine individuals during a sweep operation in 2002.(4) # Zura Bitieva was extra-judicially executed together with her husband, son and brother in their home in Kalinovskaia in May 2003. Bitieva had appealed to the ECtHR regarding torture and ill-treatment she was subjected to when detained in a pre-trial detention facility in Chernokozovo in 2000.(5) More and more elements of the conflict in Chechnya have spread to neighboring Ingushetia and thousands of Chechen civilians who had sought refuge in this republic have been pressured into returning to Chechnya, despite the continued insecurity there. Human rights organizations that seek to raise awareness about human rights violations in Chechnya are highly vulnerable to persecution. # In recent months, the Nizny Novgorod-based Russian-Chechen Friendship Society (RCFS) has been the target of a media campaign accusing it of having links to terrorism. In addition, its chief editor faces charges on inciting ethnic and religious hostility because the organization has published an appeal to the EU by Aslan Maskhadov and an interview with Akhmet Zakayev in its human rights magazine.(6) Since 2001 three members of the RSCF have been killed.(7) Likewise, journalists who are critical of the so-called anti-terrorism campaign in Chechnya, as well as other official anti-terrorism policies, are vulnerable to harassment. This became particularly evident during the hostage-taking in Beslan last September, when numerous independent journalists were arrested, intimidated and physically assaulted. With a few exceptions, Chechnya remains closed to foreign journalists and international organizations, which reinforces the lack of transparency of Russian policies in the region. For further information: In Vienna: Aaron Rhodes, IHF Executive Director, +43-676-635 66 12; Henriette Schroeder, IHF Press Officer, +43-676-725 48 29; in Moscow: Tanya Lokshina, +7- 916 624-1906 (1) Human Rights Center 'Memorial', "Chechnya, 2004: Abductions and 'Disappearances' of People", 7 February 2005, see http://www.memo.ru/hr/hotpoints/caucas1/index.htm (2) ITAR-Tass, "Almost One Third of All Abductions of People in Russia are Committed in Southern Federal District", 27 December 2004. (3) IHF, "Ingushetia: Enforced 'Disappearances,' Extrajudicial Killings and Unlawful Detentions. December 2003 - June 2004," 4 August 2004, at http://www.ihf-hr.org/documents/doc_summary.php?sec_id=3&d_id=3951 (4) IHF and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC), The Silencing of Human Rights Defenders in Chechnya and Ingushetia, 15 September 2004, at http://www.ihf-hr.org/documents/doc_summary.php?sec_id=3&d_id=3965 (5) ibid. (6) See IHF, "'We Fear for the Safety of Our Colleagues in the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society.' Russian Human Rights Organization Threatened, " 19 March 2005, at http://www.ihf-hr.org/documents/doc_summary.php?sec_id=3&d_id=4032; IHF, "FSB Raids the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society," 20 January 2005, at http://www.ihf-hr.org/documents/doc_summary.php?sec_id=3&d_id=4014 Aslan Maskhadov, the leader of the Chechen armed opposition groups and elected as Chechen President in 1997, was killed on 8 March 2005. Akhmet Zakayev is the special envoy of the Presidency of the Chechen armed opposition groups. (7) See IHF and NHC, The Silencing of Human Rights Defenders in Chechnya and Ingushetia, 15 September 2004. (8) This issue will be discussed at greater length in the forthcoming IHF, Human Rights Developments in the OSCE Region: Report 2005 (Events of 2004). __________________________________________ 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 ______________________________________ Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker / Society for Threatened Peoples Minister of Foreign Affairs Göttingen, May 4th 2005 Excellency: prior to the EU Russia Summit on May 10th in Moscow the Society for Threatened Peoples wishes to draw your attention to five basic problems facing the Russian Federation today. The Society for Threatened Peoples appeals to you to address these points in your talks with your Russian counterparts. From our point of view, political solutions must be found for the following problems: Severe limitations of press-freedom must be revoked, racism, antisemitism, and xenophobia should be openly addressed and dealt with, persecution on ethnic grounds like in the Republics of Bashkiria, Mari El, and in the Region of Krasnodar need to be stopped, a political solution to the ongoing war in Chechnya needs to be found, and the dangerous spill-over of the war in Chechnya to the neighbouring republics must be stopped. These problems have intensified since the war in Chechnya started in 1999. They need to be included in the EU-Russia dialogue on human rights. Society for Threatened peoples regrets deeply that no resolution about human rights violations in Chechnya was tabled by the EU at this year’s UN Human Rights Commission. Therefore it is imperative that you adress the following points openly with your russian counterparts. 1. Freedom of the press According to the “Glasnost Defense Foundation”, 13 journalists were killed in Russia in 2004. All TV companies are under state control. Only a few newspapers operate independently of the government. In the end of April 2004, the russian secret service FSB announced it would “widen powers of Russian secret services to better control communication systems and the Internet traffic”. Freedom of the press and freedom of expression are no longer guaranteed in the Russian Federation. 2. Rassism, antisemitism and xenophobia Since the start of the second war in Chechnya in 1999, there has been an upsurge of racism, antisemitism, and xenophobia in all of the Russian Federation. From 2003 to 2004, the number of racially motivated murders doubled to 44. The russian police registered 8.500 crimes related to racism. If the perpetrators are brought to justice at all, they are usually sentenced because of hooliganism. According to opinion polls xenophobia is deeply rooted in Russian Society: 60-70% want to limit the number of Caucasian people living in Russia and think that power in the country should be in hands of the so-called "root ethnicity" (Russians). 42% of the people want to limit the influence of Jews on public life. 3. Persecution of ethnic minorites Persecution of ethnic minorities even in the ethnic autonomous republics like Mari El or Bashkiriya is widespread. In January 2005, 1.000 people were arrested by OMON special forces in Bashkiriya. They were mistreated and women were raped. The Mari are part of the political opposition in Mari El where the authoritarian president Leonid Markelov tries to silence all politicians form the opposition. The Mari were removed from jobs in the administration, government and press. Their language is taught only in 21% of the schools, journalists are beaten up regularily. There are several cases of journalists who were murdered. In the region of Krasnodar, 7.000 out of the 15.000 Turk Meshketians are stateless. There are harrassed by the local police and Kosaks. Marriages cannot be registered because the Meshkets don’t receive the relevant papers, pupils are put into special classes. 4. Continous violence in Chechnya Daily violence, arbitrariness, and impunity are continous in Chechnya. Since 1999, 3.000 to 5.000 civilians have disappeared. Every day Russian soldiers or pro-Russian Chechen forces abduct on an avarage two persons. Human rights defenders are harrassed. 13 of them have already been murdered. Applicants to the European Court of Human Rights are subjected to violence. In April 2004, 24-year-old Anzor Pokaev was abducted from his home in Starye Atagi and subseqently executed. He is the son of one of the applicants. Even tough the EU offered high sums of financial help the humanitarian situation in the Chechen Republic is deplorable. Corruption, crime and ineffectiveness prevent reconstruction. The improvement of the humanitarian situation is only promising when a political solution to the war in Chechnya is found. 5. Spill-over of the Chechen war to the neighbouring republics The security situation in Ingushetia, Dagestan, Karbadino-Balkaria, Karatschai-Tsherkessia and Ossetia resembles more and more the situation in Chechnya. Police, the military and security services conduct brutal operations against alleged terrorists, religious leaders, and criminals. The political opposition is suppressed. Crime, corruption and state arbitrariness add to an atmosphere where human rights and the safety of individuals are violated. The Society for Threatened Peoples urges you to openly address these crucial topics with the Russian government. We kindly ask you to keep us informed about the progress of your initiatives. Sincerely, yours Tilman Zülch www.gfbv.de