| ||
|
||
|
|
|
HR news |
FROM THE CONFLICT ZONE
Bulletin of HRC “Memorial”
The issue prepared in Nazran
13 April 2006
Enforced Disappearance, Murder, Discrimination
Exacerbation of Tensions
in the Area of Ingush-Ossetian Conflict
Ethnic Ingush “disappear” in Prigorodny District of North Ossetia.
Crimes remain uninvestigated
April 2006
Introduction
In March 2006 two representatives of Ingush minority were abducted in Prigorodny District of North Ossetia and the city of Vladikavkaz. The exacerbation of tensions in the area of Ingush-Ossetian conflict1 has been registered since summer 2005. Since then “Memorial” registered 8 cases of disappearances of representatives of ethnic Ingush in North Ossetia. One of the kidnapped was subsequently found dead with marks of severe torture, the other seven disappeared without trace. On October 19 2005, unidentified men attempted to abduct an 11year-old child Dzarakhov Issa. Luckily, the child managed to escape from the kidnappers. Moreover, in the last months several cases of armed attacks on ethnic Ingush have been registered in Vladikavkaz and Prigorodny District. None of the crimes committed against ethnic Ingush has been investigated, no one has been detained or charged in relation with these enforced disappearances.
On April 3 2006, on behalf of HRC “Memorial”, Oleg Orlov, the Chair of Board, Svetlana Gannushkina, Board member, both members of Council for Development of Institutions of Civil Society and Human Rights with the President of the Russia Federation, turned with a letter to the President of Republic North Ossetia Alania Tajmuraz Mamsurov, in which they expressed deep concern with the current situation.
“We know that the authorities of Republic North Ossetia-Alania have invested quite significant effort to overcome the consequences of Ingush-Ossetian conflict of 1992. Thousands of people, who had to abandon their homes, have returned to the places of their permanent residence, have rebuilt their houses. At the same time, we are also aware of the fact that the process of return has encountered resistance of forces, which do not want people of different ethnic backgrounds to live together in peace and agreement. That is why thousands of Ingush have not yet returned to their homes (or at least ruins). Nonetheless, in some of the villages, good neighborly relations have been restored between the residents of Ossetian, Ingush, and Russian nationalities.
In this background, a new wave of acts of violence, which has been registered in Prigorodny district of North Ossetia and in the outskirts of Vladikavkaz raises serious concern. There are sufficient grounds to suppose that these crimes have been committed on the basis of ethnic hatred. Life and health of every human being is invaluable, on top of that, such crimes can result in destabilization of the situation in the Republic North Ossetia-Alania and in the entire North Caucasus. This is probably what the criminals are aiming at. We turn to you with an appeal to do everything possible to stop the new wave of violence. It is out deep conviction that this will require common effort on behalf of authorities and civil society.
It is important to carefully investigate each crime, to punish not only their executors, but also their commissioners. But most importantly, the whereabouts of the kidnapped people have to be established.
At the same time we would like to draw your special attention to the fact that in investigating these crimes law enforcement agencies should not take the easiest way – as has already happened before- to ‘extort’ confessions from those, whom for some reason the representatives of law enforcement have decided “to appoint” guilty, instead of finding the real criminals” - stated the letter.
“Memorial” appeals to the federal agencies and republican authorities, Russian and international community to closely follow the development of the situation in Prigorodny District of North Ossetia-Alania, to demand investigation of crimes committed against them and combat ethnic discrimination in Prigorodny District of North Ossetia. We draw your attention that it was after a series of individual armed attacks and crimes committed against representatives of Ingush minority in Prigorodny district that gave the final impulse to the breakout of armed conflict in 19922.
Descriptions of cases are in attachment.
Please, send your inquiries and appeals to:
Vladimir Oustinov,
Prosecutor General of the Russia n Federation
125 993 Moscow, Bolshaya Dmitrovka, 15 d
Fax +7 (495) 921 41 86
Alexsander Bigulov,
Prosecutor of Republic North Ossetia-Alania
362015 Vladikavkaz, Pushkinskaya street, 8
+ 7(8672) 52 23 64
Copy to:
Vladimir Lukin,
Ombudsman of the Russian Federation
107 084 Mysnitskaya street 45, Russian Federation
fax +7 (495) 207 53 37
e-mail: pree-sl@ropnet.ru
1 The enthic conflict between Ingush and the Ossetians took place between October 31- November 6 1992 in Prigorodny District of North Ossetia and in the city of Vladikavkaz. According to the Office of Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation 583 people were killed, 939 injured, 261 disappeared without trace, 1093 were kept hostage. According to different estimated 30-60, 000 of Ingush fled Prigorodny district of North Ossetia.
2On 20.10.92 ã. an armed troops carrier driving at high speech along the village of Chermen killed an Ingush girl Gadaborsheva Madina. The investigation ruled that the driver was not guilty. One day later, personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Ossetia shot dead two ethnic Ingush, residents of Yuzny village, Khautiev Ibrahim Magomedovich, born un 1962, and Pugiev Oumar Isaevich, born in 1960. Representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Ossetia promised the relatives of the killed men that the crime would be investigated and murderers punished according to law. One of the murderers, named Susin was, indeed, detained but subsequently released from preliminary detainment in Vladikavkaz. On 30.10.92 in the daytime a young man Yandiev was killed at a bus stop, the same night Ingush neighborhoods in villages Kambileevka and Oktyabrskoje were subjected to fire. In the evening of 31.10.92 an angry crowd of Ingush men disarmed Ossetian security servicemen at the border checkpoint and in the village Chermen started a battle with Ossetian militia, which marked the beginning of ethnic war.
