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HR news |
FROM THE CONFLICT ZONE
Bulletin of Human Rights Center «Memorial»
November 2003
(the issue prepared by HRC «Memorial»
in Nazran)
Dear colleagues,
Human Rights Center «Memorial»
offers its ensuing information bulletin based on the results of monitoring the human rights situation in the Chechen Republic and the process of overcoming consequences of 1992 conflict in Prigorodny district of North Osetia.
Your questions and comments, please, send to:
386100 Republic Ingushetia, Nazran, Mutalieva, 46 Human Rights Centre «Memorial»
e-mail: memorial@southnet.ru
phone/fax + 7 (8732 ) 22 23 49
The Situation in the Chechen Republic and Republic Ingushetia: November 2003
I. Statistics
According to the data of HRC «Memorial» (the Center carries out monitoring in 5 out of 17 districts in Chechnya, thus, the data is obviously incomplete) in November 2003:
1. Killed: 1 civilian
According to «Memorial» records:
- In November 2002: 44 citizens were killed (including 32 civilians).
2. Kidnapped: 27 civilians
subsequently disappeared – 20
According to «Memorial» records:
- In November 2002: 72 persons were kidnapped (subsequently killed - 7, released – 17, went missing - 48)
NB! Due to the specificity of human rights monitoring in the Chechen Republic, it is important to take into consideration the fact that data for the two most recent months is usually incomplete and is then updated the following months. Therefore, unfortunately, the figures for murdered and disappeared in November 2003 are likely to grow.
Attention! As of May 2004, expectedly, the numbers of killed residents of Chechnya in November 2003 have increased. According to HRC «Memorial », in November 2003, 8 residents of Chechnya were killed, including 3 civilians, 4 representatives of Chechen power agencies, 1 member of separatist armed formations, 9 unidentified persons. 59 persons were kidnapped, 13- later set free or released for ransom. 45 went missing, 1 subsequently was found dead.
- From the «Chronicle of Violence»
At night on November 3, a unit of ChRI armed formations entered the village Makhety, Vedensky dictrict of Chechnya. In the village the unit split into two groups. The first group headed towards the house of Ibrahim Khultygov. The fighters ousted his elderly parents out of the house and put the house on fire. The other group blew up the building of the local administration. The fighters remained in the village for a few hours. They did not allow the villagers to extinguish the fire, threatened them by shooting around.
The military servicemen of the 45th separate regiment, the special assignment unit of airborne troops, dislocated at the nearby village Khatuny did nothing to neutralize or liquidate the armed formation.
Ibrahim Khultygov, whose house had been burnt, since August 28, 1998 had worked in the capacity of the head of the Chechen Republic Ichkeria National Security Service. In August 2000 he stopped resisting the federal army. Until autumn 2002 Ibrahim lived outside Chechnya. Upon return home he came to be an eye-witness of the events of October 2-3, 2003, when the military personnel of theb 45-regiment subjected his village to aerial bombardment, and the following day cleansed the settlement. These days the residents of the village were protected by the personnel of Chechen militia, who arrived from the town of Shali.
After the events of October 2003, Khultygov initiated the creation of self-defense units in the villages Khatuny, Tevzana, Makhety and Sel’mentauzen, These units were created to protect the city both from the fighters and the military servicemen. I. Khultygov met in Grozny with A. Kadyrov and negotiated the formation of a military unit numbering 180 persons for the defense of the villages. Their agreement was followed by the act of deterrence on behalf of the fighters.
On November 6, after midnight 2 elderly people were kidnapped from the village Ojskhara (Novogrozny) Gudermessky district. At 0:30 unidentified armed persons in camouflage uniforms and wearing masks broke into the house of Ismail Ozdarbiev, born 1932, resident of Sadovaya street. They dragged Ismail out of his bed, ordered him to get dressed and to follow them. In the house with Ismail was his wife. She kept begging the soldiers to leave the old man at home, but without result, the old man was kidnapped. Afterwards the house was searched.
The unidentified persons arrived to the house on foot and spoke Chechen and Russian. They
came to the village by cars, which they left at the neighboring street.
According to Ismail’s wife, 2 months ago the military servicemen came to their house, checked the documents of the old man and said that he was not the one they looked for. The locals say that currently Ismail is not involved in politics, but he used to be a member of the Council of Elders (Mekh Khel).
The same night the same people broke into the house of Mayraev family at Bazarnaya street and in the same fashion kidnapped Khamid Mayraev, born 1957. Khamid was an activist of political meetings, and when the State Duma declared the amnesty to the members of armed formations, his relatives turned to FSB with a request to issue amnesty to Khamid. However, they were told that FSB has nothing against Kh. Mayraev and that participation in political meetings is not a crime, therefore amnesty is not required for him.
On November 7, was released Akhmed Gisaev, kidnapped on October 24, 2003 in the village Katayama, Grozny by the representatives of the Russian power agencies. The kidnappers dropped him off the car in the proximity of his house. According to the kidnapped, he was kept in several different detainment facilities, blindfolded, he spent 11 days on the Russian military base in Khankala, where was subjected to severe beatings and torture. The body of Akhmed Gisaev indeed bears marks of beatings and burns.
For evidence collected from A. Gisaev, please, consult or website:
http://www.memo.ru/hr/news/gisaev.htm
On November 8, was released Ayub Yakhyaev, born 1981, who had been kidnapped by the unknown persons at night on November,4 2003 from the village Alkhan-Yurt, Urus-Martanovsky district of Chechnya. A resident of Alkhan-Yurt, with reference to Yakhyaev’s mother said, that all this time Ayub was kept in a trench. The location of the trench is unknown. According to this woman, Yakhyaev family paid a big sum of money for their son’s release.
On Novermber 12, in the center of the Chechen town Argun, between the market place and the bus station were killed two militiamen. The assassins, supposedly, vakhabites, shot at one of the militiamen and started to run away. The second militiaman ran after the assassins, they threw a grenade, which killed him. The splinters of the exploded grenade injured a few women, who worked at the market. At the same time the military servicemen were passing by, they opened fire at the assassins. One of them managed to escape, while the other was wounded. The wounded assassin was tied to the armed personnel carrier. The women, injured by the splinters of the grenade were delivered to the hospital, where one of them had her leg amputated.
On November 29, were kidnapped 2 heads of local governments from 2 villages of Vedensky district of Chechnya. Ily’as Saidarov, born 1960, (village Dargo), Vakhid Tashtiev, born 1955, (village Belgatoj) disappeared on the way to Gudermes town, where they headed to in order to attend a meeting of «Edinaya Rossija» party. On the way their car broke down thrice. The third time this happened in the proximity of village Zandak , Nozhaj-Yurtovsky district of Chechnya. Furthermore, they disappeared. The relatives found the car of the disappeared at the checkpoint of the federal forces, located near that village. To the question on the whereabouts of the persons, who drove that car the military servicemen had no reply.
However, there was a witness to the detainment. He said that Saidarov and Tashtiev were on
the base of the special unit of the military commandment, supervised by the Deputy of the Military Commandant of Chechnya, Sulim Yamadaev. Officially, the power agency refused to confirm the fact of the detainment, however, informally they said that Tashtiev and Saidarov were being checked on the fact of their cooperation with the armed formations of ChRI. For a week, the residents of Dargo and Belgatoy stormed the commandment, ROVD and the district administration of Vedensky district, on the 6th of December they organized a piquet at the governmental buildings in Grozny.
For full version of the «Chronicle of Violence» for December, please, consult the web site of HRC «Memorial» http://www.memo.ru/hr/hotpoints/caucas1/rubr/2/index.htm
- From the Chechen Press
From the interview of the President of the Chechen Republic A. Kadyrov to the republican weekly «Vozrozhdenie Respubliki».
«Akhmad Kadyrov: «The President of Russia Told Me: «It’s Time to Resolve».
Vozrozhdenie Respubliki ¹ 45 19-30 November 2003 pp. 1-2.
- I came to the President of the Russian Federation with urgent issues, which were expounded in 8 letters to him. I will say right away, all the issues had been positively resolved. For example, on the letter, which contained proposals to develop mobile telecommunications in the Republic, the President wrote «It’s time to resolve».
This issue was raised already in 2000 at the Security Council. Then they tried to persuade me, that those who should not talk, will talk. But I perceive it differently. If, say, my enemy is talking, and I have the opportunity to wire to him, then he should be presented with such a telephone… I described the President of the Russian Federation the situation in the Republic and characterized it as complicated. But it cannot be different, since it has been slightly over a month since my inauguration. I am very content that he was listening to me for so long and so attentively.
- Your declaration that in two months the MVD of Chechnya has to finish with the arduous figures has not passed unnoticed. What is this declaration based on?
- This was done, first of all, for the power agencies, aimed to rid the republic from the bandits, to feel the responsibility. Second, the bandits also will not sleep in peace, but wait day and night when kadyrovtsy arrive.
We already have big achievements. For example, large caches with weapons and ammunition have been revealed and liquidated. Informals, authoritative with the bandits, – the enemies of the Chechen people - have been detained. That is why the task, which I have given the MVD of Chechnya is being successively resolved.
- Ahmad Abdulkhamidovich, you met in Moscow with Salambek Maigov. Why among all candidates you distinguished specifically this person? What can you say about the meeting with him?
I understood that Maigov realized; that side had no perspective. Today he is not saying what he used to say yesterday. I welcome his return to normal life, and his support of the authorities. But this does not mean that I support Maigov or anybody else. All the candidates are worthy people, all are our citizens. Whoever the people vote for will become the deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation.
The Situation in Prigorodny District of North Osetia: November 2003
In the fall of 1992 in Prigorodny district of North Osetia-Alania broke out a short but very ferocious armed conflict between the Ingushis and the Osetians. The active phase of the conflict lasted from October 31 to November 6, when, according to the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, 583 persons were killed, 939 injured, 261 went missing, 1093 taken hostages. According to different estimates 35-60, 000 Ingush were expelled from their historic homeland in Prigorodny district of North Osetia-Alania and the capital city of Vladikavkaz; the majority of them fled to the neighboring Ingushetia. For 11 years now Ingush forced migrants waiting for the chance to return home have been fighting for survival in tents, trucks and barracks of the refugee camps.
The destructive war, which broke out in the neighboring Chechen Republic, pushed the Ingush-Osetian conflict to the background of events. The Federal government, humanitarian organizations, Russian and foreign journalists left thousands of Ingush families without attention. On October 11, 2002 the Presidents of Ingushetia and North Osetia signed The Agreement for Promoting Cooperation and Neighborly Relations between the republics, in which Ingush refugees and human rights advocates invested much hope. HRC «Memorial» monitors the implementation of the agreement and will inform you on the developments in the region.
VI. From the Refugee Camp «Majskij»
In the October issue of its information bulletin, HRC «Memorial» reported about electricity cut offs in the refugee camp «Majskij». «Majskij», located in Prigorodny District of North Osetia, exists for 9 years, without any humanitarian assistance from the State. In the end of September 2003 electricity went off in the camp, it was turned off due to the camp’s debt for the consumed electricity, which according to different estimates, amounted to 3—11 million rubles (100-380,000 dollars). 264 families, residing in refugee caravans were left without electricity, heating or water, since the caravan cars were heated with electric radiators and the water pulp worked on electric power. Electricity was off in Majskij throughout October and the most part of November.
On November 18, the commandant and the IDPs from «Majskij» met with Kulakovsky, the Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on the issue of regulating Ingush-Osetian conflict. During the meeting the IDPs were again reminded of the necessity to pay for the consumed electricity. In order to be able to turn on the electric power, the IDPs were required to pay at least the current indebtedness, 300 rubles per family. During the meeting the IDPs managed to bring the amount down to 100 rubles per family.
On November 22, the IDP town was visited by Albogachiev, the Mufty (the highest religious authority) of Ingushetia. The IDPs asked for his assistance in resolving the problem of electricity cut offs, and to turn the electricity on at least for the time of the Holy Muslim Holiday – Ramadan.
On November 23, electricity was turned on, and the IDPs were promised that there would be no cut offs until the end of Ramadan holidays.
For Ramadan private persons of Ingush and Osetian nationalities presented the IDP camp Majskij with 6 cows to distribute meat among the needy. At the Council of Residents it had been decided to sell the cows and to use the money for paying the current liability. This was done and since November 23, there had been no electricity cut offs in «Majskij».
