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HR news |
Arrest of Dik Al'temirov
Dik Altemirov has been released by employees of the Federal Forces. |
On 24 May 2001 in Groznyi, members of the federal forces arrested Dik Mikhailovich Al'temirov, a pensioner born in 1934 and living at the address: Groznyi, ulitsa Zavety Il'icha, 107.
On 25 May Interfax issued the following report on the incident:
"The former prime-minister of the Ichkeriya government has been arrested in Groznyi.re
Federal forces on Thursday arrested D Al'temirov in the Chechen capital during a special operation. Interfax was told on Friday by the republic's justice authorities, that the man who had been arrested had been head of the Ichkeriya government during Aslan Maskhadov's presidency.
An investigation is underway into D Al'termirov and his membership of illegal armed groups and his connections with extremist leaders."
This report clearly shows the partisan and clearly prejudicial approach which members of the Republic of Chechnya's justice authorities are taking to D M Al'temirov. The fact is, that D M Al'temirov was never prime-minister. He occupied a post for a limited time only in the tourism and sports ministry during D Dudaev's presidency. Further, he left this job before the start of fighting in 1994. Later, for a short period in the Autumn of 1996, Mr D Al'temirov was deputy head of the social and humanitarian political bloc (science, education, sport etc.). When A Maskhadov became president of the ChRI, Al'temirov went into retirement.
During the first "Chechen war" of 1994 to 1996, the Assembly of Social-Political Parties and Movements of the ChRI was created with D Al'temirov as its chairman. The Assembly used only non-violent peaceful means and organised demonstrations, rallies and marches. In all this, D Al'temirov never attempted to hide his convictions that the main aim of the Assembly was the non-violent struggle to reach a peace settlement and to keep Chechnya's independent status. In 1997, the Assembly was suspended, but resumed its activities in 1999, with D Al'temirov again as its chairman.
In 1996 and 1997 Dik Al'temirov was of great assistance to the OSCE mission, working in Groznyi and led by Tim Guldiman.
From 1997 to 1999 D Al'temirov announced that he was, consistent with his earlier views, opposed to "Vakhabism" and the armed groups acting under this ideology.
In 2000 and 2001 D Al'temirov was one of the few people in Groznyi who dared to carry out human rights work. He maintained working contacts with human rights organisations including the Human Rights Centre "Memorial".
We know Dik Al'temirov well enough to be able to stress that he would never use force as a means to resolve any question. A supporter of Chechnya's independence, he has never considered and does not consider it acceptable to use anything other than peaceful non-violent means. In this regard, the accusations of his involvement with armed groups are plainly absurd.
We can only regard the arrest of the 67 year old Al'temirov as being persecution of a person for his beliefs and human rights work.
The Human Rights Centre "Memorial" has sent information requests to the Procurator General of the RF V V Ustinov and to the Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for protection of human rights and freedoms of citizens in the Republic of Chechnya, V A Kalamanov.
Representative of the Council
of the Human Rights Centre "Memorial"
O.P. Orlov
