Human Rights Center "Memorial"

FROM THE CONLFICT ZONE
Bulletin of HRC “Memorial”

The issue prepared in Nazran
June 9 2006

1. Should There Be No IDPs in Chechnya? Residents of Temporary Residence Centers Are Ready To Move But Only To Permanent Housing 6/06/06
2. A Man “Disappeared” on the territory of Government Administration in Grozny 8/06/06

1. Should There Be No IDPs in Chechnya? Residents of Temporary Residence Centers Are Ready To Move But Only To Permanent Housing 6/06/06

In its bulletin of 17.05.2006 (http://www.memo.ru/eng/memhrc/texts/6migrants5.shtml) “Memorial” reported about the campaign launched in the Chechen Republic for closing of Temporary Residence Centers (TRCs) for internally displaced people (IDPs) aimed at taking the issue of internal displacement completely off the agenda in Chechnya. This campaign initiated by the Chair of the Chechen Government Ramzan Kadyrov, signifies how far Chechnya is from the “normalization” declared by the federal and the republican leadership.

On May 16, 2006 HRC “Memorial” and Civic Assistance Committee received an application from IDPs - residents of a temporary residence center located in Grozny, Derzhavina street, 289. The application was signed by heads of 46 families. The application states that a new commandant was imposed upon the residents of the temporary residence center and that she is supported by armed men from local security services. The latter had repeatedly paid visits to TRC and issued threats to the people, who had not reconciled themselves with enforced appointment of the new commandant.

IDPs turned to the Department of Federal Migration Service in the Chechen Republic but soon realized that this agency had no influence on the situation. Migration services adviced IDPs to turn to human rights organizations and international aid missions, which could have some influence over the recent policy on IDPs.

After recent announcements by the republican leadership that the commandants of all TRC had to be changed, residents of TRC at Derzhavina street 289 reconciled themselves with the fact that immaculately performing commandant Ludmila Latyrova would have to resign, and elected a new commandant Khamzatova. However, on the order of the head of administration of Staropromyslovsky district, another woman- Dagman Almaeva - was appointed the commandant instead of Khamzatova. The residents link her appointment with the fact that Almaeva’s brother until recently was a commander of one of the units of local security service- the Anti-Terrorist Center (АТЦ).

Asu Dudurkaev, the head of Department of Federal Migration Services in the Chechen Republic did not confirm Almaeva in her position. Almaeva, however, did not give up. She announced to all employees of TRC administration that they were fired and appointed people loyal to her. Residents of the TRC were indignant and turned to state agencies for help, including the head of UBOP (Department for Combat of Organized Crime) A. Alaudinov. Alaudinov arrived to the TRC, talked to the IDPs, listened to Almaeva and her relatives. Having sorted things out Alaudinov called Asu Dudurkaev and the latter issued an instruction appointing Khamzatova. However, Almaeva locked the door of the commandant’s room and refused to give keys to anybody.

On May 30 at 10 p.m. armed men broke into the TRC at Derzhavina street 289, who presented themselves as personnel of territorial militia (TOM) in Staropromyslovsky district. They started to threaten the newly elected commandant of TRC Khamzatova and the residents with physical violence for not accepting the authority of Almaeva, whom the head of administration of Staropromyslovsky district Khoz-Baudi Estamirov appointed the commandant counter to the order of the head of the Department of Federal Migration Services in the Chechen Republic and the will of IDPs. The illegal actions were organized by a man named Bislan, nicknamed “Chekist”.

The residents informed local militia about these developments, and a unit of militiamen arrived to the TRC. After negotiations with the residents and Bislan the decision was taken to meet the following day at the building of Federal Migration Services.

The next morning the head of Department for Federal Migration Services and the residents of TRC waited for Bislan in the Migration Services office, but he never arrived.

On June 1, Vakha Saitov, the head of the administrative unit, where the TRC is located announced to IDPs that their TRC would be closed within three days and they would be resettled to other TRCs where there were rooms prepared for them. However, Saitov did not show anyone the list of ‘the new places’ prepared. The residents expressed their indignation and announced that they would leave the TRC only when they receive compensation and permanent housing. Later other officials visited the TRC as well. Finally Asu Dudarkaev promised the residents that their TRC will not be closed.

Nonetheless, IDPS remained in a state of anxiety. They were frightened by the night visit of the militiamen and they were not confident that illegal methods would not be used against them.

On June 5 around 9 a.m. representatives of district administration and migration service arrived to the TRC. Representatives of the administration announced that the center had to be closed shortly since it had to be used for a kindergarten, while the residents would be provided with places in other temporary residence centers of the district. The personnel of migration service explained that this was not their initiative, but the municipal administration had the right to such actions. The conversation with IDPs was very emotional. The residents of TRC again announced that they were not going to move from one TRC to another and if they were to be resettled from this center they would go to Ingushetia and ask refuge with President Zyazikov.

Such irreconcilable position of IDPs was provoked by the behavior of personnel of administration, who had demonstrated total indifference to the situation of IDPs. The authorities again announced that there existed ‘new places’ for resettlement. However, the IDPs thought that the conditions in new residence centers would be worse, than the ones they used to have in the TRC in Derzhavina street. Moreover, they were anxious because they had to sign applications for resettlement without seeing new accommodation. IDPs thought that they had grounds to suspect some kind of trick involved in the proposed mechanism. They were also frustrated that administration argued that the building had to be immediately released due to the fact that the TRC was to be converted into a kindergarten, but at the same time its personnel were unable to confirm that they were ready to immediately turn the TRC into a kindergarten. They said there were no funds or a construction team contracted, who would be ready to start the repairs.

At the same time, to those IDPs who before the war lived in Staropromyslovsky district of Grozny administration were promised new flats (20-50 flats), but no one was provided any details as to where these flats would be and when would they be allocated to families. The flats were only promised to families with underprivileged citizens- handicapped, veterans of war and labor etc. IDPs were also promised land slots and free construction materials, but IDPs knowing the value of such promises did not invest much faith into them. For most of families a land slot was not a solution because one had to build housing on a land slot. Moreover, some families already applied for land slots 2-3 years ago, however, no one has received anything thus far. They were also promised compensation, but no one believed these promises anymore.

IDPs from regions other than Staropromyslovsky district of Grozny were not promised anything. They were told that this was the responsibility of their regional administration to provide for their needs.

According to IDPs they were threatened with deprivation of drinking water and that OMON fighters would be invited should they continue to resist the closing of the TRC. This, however, would not represent a huge problem for IDPs, since the central water system does not function in Grozny anyway, water is being catered for by humanitarian organizations, who installed a large vessel and regularly filled it with water for IDPs. To defend their water vessel from dismantling IDPs surrounded it and did not allow to take it away.

Representative of HRC “Memorial” Natalya Estemirova spent a day negotiating with the administration. At around 5 p.m. Svetlana Gannushkina, a member of Council for Human Rights with the President of the Russian Federation telephoned the head of administration of Staropromyslovsky District of Grozny Khoz-Baudi Estamirov.

Khoz-Baudi informed Gannushkina that routine order-making in municipal housing was on the way. He denied possibility of any physical pressure on IDPs and ensured Gannushkina that no one had plans for dismantling the water vessel from the TRC or calling the militia. He also denied the supposition that he had intentions to take care of the former residents of the Staropromyslovsky district only.

According to Khozh-Baudi Estemirov the residents of TRC had another 10 days to acquaint themselves with the conditions in rooms prepared for them in other TRCs.

In the morning on June 6, however, the residents of TRC at Derzhavina street called Gannushkina and informed her that buses had arrived to transport people and their belongings to other places. The IDPs complained that the administration behaved rudely. IDPs again confirmed their intension to move to Ingushetia.

This time it was impossible to reach Khoz-Baudi Estamirov by phone. His assistant answered the phone and informed Gannushkina that the head of administration was in the TRC solving the problem of IDP resettlement.

Having talked to Estamirov’s assistant Svetlana Gannushkina sent a fax to the President of the Chechen Republic Alu Alkhanov, where she described the situation and expressed hope in resolution of the conflict around the TRC:

The second half of the day the buses left and IDPs were promised that until June 13 the problem of their permanent resettlement would be solved. At the same time the IDPs fear that the contradiction between residents of TRCs and the administration will continue.

On June 8 in Grozny on the territory of Government complex disappeared Khamzat Shamsuldinovich Tushaev, born in 1959, resident of Grozny, D’yakova street 19 ap. 54

On June 7 unidentified man called on the mobile phone of Tushaev’s wife, and presented himself an employee of Prosecution Sergey Aleksandrovich. He asked Tushaev’s wife to tell her husband that next day he had to come to Prosecutor’s office, since Tushaev was suspected of crime stipulated by article 208 p.2 (participation in illegal armed formations) in the framework of a criminal case instigated by the Prosecution of Shalinsky district.

On June 8, Tushaev with his wife went to the Government complex, where the Office of the Prosecutor was located. Having called the Office of the Prosecutor of Leninsky district, a militiamen at the entrance issued Tushaev a pass. Tushaev entered the territory of the complex at 10 a.m. Tushaev’s wife remained outside. Until 5:30 she remained at the entrance of the complex and then being anxious about the prolonged absence of her husband asked the militiaman on duty to call the Prosecution. A representative of the Prosecution who answered the phone said that Tushaev never reached the Prosecution and was not registered as entering the office. Tusaheva waited for some more time and returned home.

On June 9, Tushaeva turned to HRC “Memorial” with a written application where she asks “Memorial” to assist her in establishing the whereabouts of her husband.

As of 1 p.m. June 9, Tushaev remained missing.