|
CHAPTER
2
IT IS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH: CHECHNYA
Filtration
Camps And Dead End Judicial System
Human rights violations and heavy violation of international law
about war is a routine in Russia invaded Chechnya. Concentration
camps in Urus Martan, Chernokozovo, PAP1, PAP5, Doykar-Oyl, Khan-Kala,
Naur and Mozdok are the Russian crime centers where the innocent
civilians are butchered. There is no way to search for crime evidence
and whatever is available is get lost by the Russian military
criminals. Judicial system in Chechnya is dead. The Chechen Administration
have concentrated all of its efforts to resist against the invasion
of Russian militarism and has no chance to trace the human rights
violations against its citizens. It is too much optimism to expect
any manners from the Russian military invaders of Chechnya. European
Council draws attentions to the gap between the committed Russian
military crimes and those reach to the attention of judicial system.
Russian Federation Prosecutor General have stated to European
Council on 7 September 2001 that they have handled 393 violation
cases against the civilian population of Chechnya. 100 of these
cases were handled by military prosecutors and the remaining 293
cases were handled by regional prosecutors. 31 of the cases were
approved by the military prosecutors and forwarded for trial.
Regional prosecutors have only decided on 9 cases and forwarded
them for trial. The case of Colonel Budonov was an exceptional
show case to term him for 11 years. The objective was to save
him with less term as possible. Other cases of homicide and violence
have only termed very minimal punishment. (25)
10 out of 20 regional courts are open for trial in Chechnya. Conditions
of war do not bring justice but rather more victimize the already
victimized people. Russian military check points at every junction
and extraordinary unsafe conditions do not permit the victims
to reach the judicial system. Another important point is that
if the crime-committer soldier's military service has ended, then
the case against him becomes impossible. Say the NGO MEMORIAL
sues a federal employee or soldier, the laws gives 6 months time
to court. The sued person leaves Chechnya within that period and
that automatically drops the case.
OSCE Assistance has arrived at North Chechnya after a lapse of
some years on 15 June 2001. This group is guarded by GUIN, special
forces of Russian Interior Ministry. Thus their movement in Chechnya
is limited and they reached Grozny for once only. They were warned
not to go to the South of Chechnya by Russian authorities. The
local people cannot reach them and the Chechen population are
not convinced with OSCE Group's good intentions and their power
of discretion as this group was accompanied by a detachment of
federal special forces.
The
Refugee Situation
Half of the population of Chechnya have become refugees. Human
rights and international agreements mean nothing to the Russian
militarism. From point of human rights law and from humanitarian
point, the case of the refugees is very serious.
Moscow based leading Human Rights Organization MEMORIAL, interviewing
Chechen refugees in Ingushetia, had disclosed why the people
leave their homes and lands. The refugees told that they left
their homelands in order to save their lives after heavy bombardments
caused so many human lost.
| |
MEMORIAL:
"We
have collected dozens of stories, but here we shall give
only three episodes. Each of them is confirmed by several
refugee stories in different camps.
On September 27 in the Staraya Sunja village, a suburb of
Grozny, 4 attack planes delivered a missile and bomb blow
at a block of flats. Two houses were destroyed, four were
badly damaged. In the cellar of a garage, Batukayev street
6, at least 6 people were killed: The TEMIRSULTANOV family
- Ramzan, aged 34, his mother Taus, aged 62, his daughter
, aged 5 and their acquaintance, Hadjichanova (ALIEVA) Liza,
aged 21, a pregnant woman with two children, aged 3 and
1,5. In the neighbouring house UMCHAEV Abdul was killed,
aged 48. About 50 people got wounds of different heaviness.
This is reported by 5 refugees.
In Grozny in the late September and early October, the federal
aviation for several days tried to destroy the TV tower.
As the result of numerous hitting 18 people were killed
near the "56th area", among the wounded there
were at least 10 children aged below seven. This is reported
by 6 refugees…
On October 2-3, none of those objects suffered from bombardments.
School #7 not far from one of them, was destroyed; the teacher
Zakriev Said'Hassan who was in school at that time was killed.
On October 6, in several hundreds meter from there, a bomb
hit the cellar where people were hiding: at least 6 members
of the KERIMOV family were killed: Hassan, aged 46, his
wife Mariam, aged 26 and their son Zurab aged 2, Aldan,
aged 39, his wife Birlant aged 36, their daughter Rita aged
13. In the cellar also refugees from Vedeno were killed:
ALGIREEV Lechi, aged 43 and Dunaev Kazbek aged 37. In the
cellars of their houses were also killed DjJANARALIEVA Aset,
aged 32 and RASUYEV Abujazid aged 49. GAITAJEVA Mariam,
aged 42 was killed by a burst of machine-gun fire in the
street, In school #1 the teacher KATAEVA Luisa, aged 26,
was killed. BAPAEV Sultan aged 52 and HAMZATOV Akhmed aged
47, keepers of a grain farm, were killed by a bomb stroke
at an elevator with grain. This is reported by nine refugees.
According to the refugees, the hospitals are overcrowded
with the wounded and cannot work efficiently: for instance,
Hospital No.9 in Grozny is left without electricity, the
current is provided by a generator. There is no gas, consequently
no heating. There is a sharp lack of medicines. The same
can be said about any hospital. The hospital in the Zavodskoi
district is closed. (26) |
Refugees
endured 3 winters. Theye were hungry and exposed to unsafe conditions.
They got sick and were without medicine. Visiting PACE delegation
in leadership of Lord Judd and Rudolf Bindig on 15 January 2001
to Znamenskoe refugee camp were to hear Zora Tatayeva that 40
% of the refugees were ill and most of them were tuberculosis.
(27)
On 25 March 2001 Ingushetia Emergencies Ministry stated that
Russia have stopped its subsidies and international help organizations
will function no more. It meant no warm meal. Bread distribution
stopped on 2 April. Power and gas supply are also cut as of
14 April to complete the conditions arranged to continue for
two months.
Ingushetia refugee service statistics mentions 308.000 refugees
have sheltered to Ingushetia since the beginning of the war
and they stay at Bart, Sputnik, Karabulak, Alina, Aki-Yurt and
Bela refugee camps. Other refugees have sheltered independently
or boarding with their relatives. (28)
As of 5 October 2000 there were 14 thousand refugees in North
Ossetia, Dagestan and in Kabardino-Balkaria. 7.000 in Georgia,
10.000 in Azerbaijan, 10.000 in Kazakhstan, one thousand in
Ukraine and 3.000 in Turkey and at Europe. Others are in Poland
and in Czech
Republic and in various European countries. Over one thousand
refugees are scattered in various cities of Turkey. Refugee
camps in Fenerbahce, Umraniye and Beykoz districts of Istanbul
shelters a total of 450 refugees.
After a while, refugees felt the pressure to return to their
homeland. Russian Government considered the Chechen refugees
as an obstacle to their international message "Russian
militarism have successfully completed its anti-terror operation
in Chechnya. Everything is normal so the refugees can come back
to their homeland." Out of this consideration, Russian
Government started to apply pressure on refugees by different
methods. Blocking of the food distribution in Ingushetia and
health service of international organizations are among the
pressure mechanisms of the Russian Government.
| |
Human
Rights Watch, Chechen Refugees Pressured to Return: Beginning
last week, thousands of people from the towns of Sernovodsk,
Assinovskaya, and Achkoi Martan -- in the flatlands of Russian-controlled
northern Chechnya - were told to prepare to return, and
were removed from government ration lists. Yet many people
told Human Rights Watch that they fear bombardment and undisciplined
conduct by Russian soldiers in their towns. They also lack
the materials to repair homes damaged by war. In some cases,
their homes have also been thoroughly looted. "To forcibly
repatriate people back to a war zone is a serious violation
of their rights," said Holly Cartner, Executive Director
of Human Rights Watch's Europe and Central Asia division.
"The displaced people in Ingushetia must be allowed
to make their own decisions about going home."
Asked why camp administrators were discontinuing the food
rations of some displaced persons, Khuchbarov, whose camp
currently houses about 9,000 people, told Human Rights Watch,
"Why should we continue to feed them? If we continue
to feed them, they'll never leave. And they could have left
a long time ago. . .because they have nothing to fear."
(30) |
One
of the important violations of the most essential human rights
is the forced deportation of people from their homeland. Lives
are under threat and people had to save their lives by becoming
refugees. Half of the population of a nation have become refugees
but only a marginal number of them has the official refugee
status. This means that United Nations High Commission for Refugees
can give no help to these people. It also means that these obstacles
are intentionally placed in front of these people.
"You will announce that what you are doing is 'anti-terror
operation' and make the half of the population refugees and
violate the rights of people in every possible manner within
the conditions of war," this is what Russia is doing.
Heavy bombardment of Chechen civilian settlements, destruction
of houses, schools and hospitals have forced the population
to move to more safe places at the neighbouring countries. United
Nations Human Rights Committee Reports that "Hospitals,
schools and other civilian housing has been destroyed by the
Russian militarians. Numerous civilians are killed and others
had to leave because of absence of shelter." (31)
Additional Protocol II to the Geneva Conventions, Art 17: (Prohibition
of forced movement of civilians), says that Civilians shall
not be compelled to leave their own territory for reasons connected
with the conflict. (32)
According to article 12 of international civil and political
rights agreement everybody has a right of freedom to choose
where he likes to live in any part of country within its rule
and regulations.
Article 13 of international human rights decleration clearly
expresses that "all human beings have a right of freedom
to setle and travel in a territory of any country"
International
community and organizations' reach to Chechen refugees is a
puzzling sensitivity. UN Refugees High Commission helps to Ingushetia
refugees only food ant other humanitarian aids. But the real
mission of the UN Refugees High Commission is to take the necessary
steps for safety and security of the refugees.
Troubles
inside of Russia
Russia declares Chechens as their own citizens but at the same
time is placing travel restrictions on them to moving areas
of exiled Chechens and implementation of their settlement in
metropolitan places such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Stavropol
and Krosnadar, puts them in trouble because they are treated
as a guilty by Russian authorities.
In 1996 a decision was taken by Mayor of Moscow, which was stating
that all of the Russian citizens who do live in Moscow without
any residential permit will be sent back to their original place
they came from. In May 1997 Mayor have ordered to throw out
all of the refugees from Moscow and whoever replaced themselves
within the country. This decision caused lots of trouble and
in the end Chechens were the ones to lose.
Those refugees who have no residential permit (Propiska) were
not able to get benefit of right to work and free medical aids.
On the other hand (Propiska) was a barrier before the political
and civil rights such as, to vote, to buy real estate and establish
a family.
It is highly difficult to describe the level of the troubles
and problems, which faced by those people who escaped from war
and lost their official papers for their identities during the
war.
Putin says that "Any resident of Chechnya or anyone, who
says that he is Chechen, has all the rights of any citizen of
the Russian Federation." (33) But his words are invalid
in consideration of the troubles that face the Chechen People.
Obstacles
barring the press
Urus Martan, Chernokozovo, PAP1, PAP5, Doykar-Oyl, Khan-Kala,
Naur and Mozdok concentration camps were the centres of Russian
military atrocities. Independent media and international observers
were unable to reach to these places and facts.
Russian Federation have well studied the 1994-1996 War conditions
and have taken all care to keep the press away from the war
front as of the beginning of the second Russian invasion of
Chechnya in year 1999. Press Centre of the Russian main military
base in Khan-Kala completely depends on orders of the Russian
military Press Officer. Journalists are unable to move in freedom.
They are isolated.
| |
The
Norwegian Helsinki Committee - Forgotten Terror: Chechnya
October 2001: One of the journalists who has visited
Chechnya most frequently and has written most extensively
on Chechnya is Anna Politkovskaya of the Moscow paper Novaya
Gazeta. The NHC visited her in her Moscow flat on 29 September.
At the time she was staying in her home, afraid to leave
her flat after Novaya Gazeta's head editor had received
threats directed against Politkovskaya. On 20 September
the head editor was invited to a meeting with the GRU, the
military intelligence service, and informed that Politkovskaya
should remain indoors in the interest of her own safety
and that the paper could suffer from its connections with
her.
According to Politkovskaya, the reasons for what she took
to be threats against her person, were related to her work
in Chechnya during September 2001. On 17 September a helicopter
crashed in Grozny, killing the crew and a number of higher
officers that were passengers on the fatal flight. 13 people
died in the crash. Politkovskaya was in Grozny at the time
and gave NHC the following account of the events:
On 17 September Grozny was blocked and there were checkpoints
and posts everywhere. People had to stay where they were,
it was almost impossible to move around the town because
of the strict control. The soldiers often stop soldiers
from other units and check them -- there is a lot of suspicion
around. At 11.00 the controls became even more vigilant,
there were rumours that something was about to happen. At
the time I was in the building of the local administration.
Only one of the officials working there had made it to work
through all the military posts. There were two generals
there. One of them, Postnjakov, told me that they had been
in Chechnya for two weeks in order to collect information
about human rights abuses committed by the federal forces
in Chechnya. He showed me a lot of documents and tapes that
contained their findings. The local official asked them
to stay on in Grozny, but general Postnjakov declined, saying
he had a meeting with Putin tomorrow. Postnjakov headed
a commission consisting of himself, the other general and
eight colonels. They left the building and a helicopter
picked them up outside. The helicopter took off, but a short
time afterwards it crashed in central Grozny. The official
version is that it was shot down by a bojevik with a stinger
somewhere in central Grozny, but I consider that an impossibility
given the strict military control in the town that day.
Anyway, the bojeviks are seldom active during the day, usually
they attack after dark. Because the whole commission and
its material was destroyed, my conclusion is that the helicopter
was brought down by federal units that were opposed to work
of the commission. I have noted that it was the GRU that
contacted my editor.
Anna Politkovskaja left Russia in early October, as there
was no signal of a change of opinion from the GRU or the
authorities. Whatever really happened with the helicopter
in Grozny on 17 September, it is in violation of all the
human rights obligations of the Russian Federation that
journalists and editors should receive threats from the
state for publishing their version of the events. However,
what was perhaps most striking about the incident on our
return to Moscow 6 October was the seemingly general lack
of interest in the dramatic situation and forced departure
of one of the most well-known journalists in Russia. (34) |
Sweep
Operations
It is
widely known that in the military operations, which started
in 1999, Russian Federal Forces destroyed many civilian settlements.
However, in response to the guerrilla tactics adapted by the
Chechens, they in the following months solely targeted civilian
population who had not participated in the armed conflict. Russia
breached each and every international treaty she had signed.
Today, the war in Chechnya is not being fought by two equal
adversaries. Far from it, it is a war waged by a massive army
equipped with heavy weaponry for the obliteration of civilian
population. Unable to response effectively to the hit and run
tactics of the Chechen fighters, Russians resorted to acts of
vengeance against the civilians.
The so called sweeping operations conducted to coerce the Chechen
fighters to surrender became the general character of the war
Russia was pursuing. It would be fair to say that no village
in Chechnya was left untouched by these operations. Some settlements
would be encircled for two to fifteen days, houses would be
raided and ransacked, and extra-judicial executions would be
carried out by the Federal Forces. Arrests were made without
any justification and large numbers of people were subjected
to torture in filtration camps.
One of the most critical results of these routine arbitrary
detentions was the existence of civilians who had been tortured
and killed in unknown locations. In Chechnya, it has come to
be perceived as normal for ordinary people to disappear. The
disappearances would take place either during the sweeping operations
or at the police checkpoints, which were set up on the roads
leading in and out of every city.
Many people, who were detained at these checkpoints or arrested
during the sweeping operations, have not been heard from ever
since. According to the Chechen sources there are nearly ten
thousands people whose fate and whereabouts are unknown.
Human Rights Organisations have obtained and recorded countless
evidences as to the nature of these sweeping operations:
- From 30 December 2001 to 3 January 2002, Tsotsin-Yurt was
the scene of a sweep, which lasted six days and resulted in
five dead and six disappeared. (Russian Human Rights Organization
MEMORIAL, 16 January 2002)
- 3-7 January 2002, sweep in Argun, 2 dead and 2 disappeared.
According to military sources, 12 combatants were also killed,
but Memorial could not check this information. (MEMORIAL, 23
January 2002)
- On 11 January 2002, sweep operations started in the villages
near Shatoy. 6 people, including a pregnant woman, were killed
while they were riding in car from Shatoy to Nokhtchi- Keloï.
(MEMORIAL, 23 January 2002)
- From 14 to 25 January 2002, sweep in Bachi-Yurt. On the 15,
four persons were arrested and two of them were killed, among
whom an old man. After the disappearance of three men, two bodies
were found outside the village on 29 January. As for the third
man, there are still no news of him. (MEMORIAL)
- 17 January, sweep in Goïskoe (region of Ourous-Martan), 2
persons killed. (MEMORIAL)
- 20 January 2002, sweep of the village of Alleroy. The bodies
of four young men who had been arrested by the federal forces
were found near a car after the Russian soldiers left. They
were all dressed in camouflage clothes. All the bodies bore
marks of torture: skin torn off, amputated fingers, severed
skin, burns (MEMORIAL)
- 8-10 February 2002, sweep in the village of Gikalovskyi. 5
men were arrested, 3 were taken to Goryatchevosk, one was killed.
(MEMORIAL)
- 12-13 February 2002, sweep in Tsotsin-Yurt. 2 dead: one man
and one woman killed at night in an artillery fire. (MEMORIAL)
- 12-20 February 2002, sweep in Starye-Atagui. The first accounts
report 7 dead. A 82 year old man was killed during this operation.
Among the bodies found, some were unrecognizable, several were
burnt. All the bodies were naked and bore marks of torture.
At least five disappeared persons. (Memorial) (MEMORIAL)
- During the operation in Starye-Atagui, people were also killed
in Tchiri-Yurt, a neighboring village. On 12 February in early
afternoon, soldiers dropped by a helicopter arrested and shot
two cab drivers originating from Duba-Yurt, as the scene was
witnessed by many people present in the market. (MEMORIAL)
- On 19 February, sweep in Gekhi, 12 disappeared. (Radio Svoboda,
26 February 2002)
- According to the information of the united group of the federal
troops in Chechnya, in the first days of March 2002, some thirty
sweep operations were carried out in Grozny, Goudermes, Argun
and other villages located in the mountainous regions in southern
and eastern Chechnya. (Radio Svoboda, 6 March 2002)
- On 1 March 2002, sweep in the region of Grozny (Sovkhoze "60th
anniversary of October"), 19 persons arrested. There are
no news of two of them. (MEMORIAL, 8 March 2002)
- Early March, sweep in Tsotsin-Yurt, one dead, one disappeared.
(Call of the inhabitants of Tsotsin-Yurt, 2 March 2002)
- 2-4 March, sweep in Argun, four young men were arrested and
taken away on 2 March. Their bodies were found on 4 March in
the courtyard of Argun's military command. (MEMORIAL, 14 March
2002)
- 6-11 March 2002, sweep in Starye-Atagui, 15 men were arrested,
and after the federal troops left, 7 burnt bodies were found,
several of them could be identified as some of the 15 men previously
arrested. This has been the 22nd sweep operation in Starye-Atagui
since the beginning of the second Russian campaign in Chechnya.
(MEMORIAL, 13 March 2002)
- On 10 March 2002, a "reprisal" operation was carried
out by representatives of the federal forces in the village
of Znamenskoe, three brothers were taken away. (Chechenpress,
11 March 2002)
- With all above mentioned, several sweep operations were caried
out in Argun (Mid-January), Stariye-Atagi (28 January- 3 February),
Goïskoe (31 January), Duba-Yurt (17-18 February). Kurçaloy (4
March). Prigorodnoe (14 March), Possiolok (15 March), and Serjen-Yurt
(18 March) (MEMORIAL and other Russian sources)
Taking into account only the records of the MEMORIAL, the most
significant Russian human rights organizaton, it shows that
27 sweep operations were caried out just in 11 weeks, which
means over two operations a week on the Republic's territory.
These records of MEMORIAL are far from being exhaustive in demonstrating
the deterrent and punitive operations over civil population
in Chechnya.
| |
MEMORIAL-
"Mopping Up" Operations in the Village of Tsotsin-Yurt:
Around 9 o'clock on February 12, the residents of the village
of Tsotsin-Yurt in the Kurchaloevsky Region noticed that
the village was being blockaded by armored vehicles. A column
of federal forces was moving along the northwestern edge
of the village, and next to it a tank moved along the boundary
that had been plowed on February 11. Suddenly there was
an explosion - two soldiers were killed and three were wounded.
(The lieutenant general overseeing the "mopping up"
operation informed T. Dikaev, the head of the administration
of Tsotsin-Yurt, about this incident.)
The soldiers opened fire with automatic weapons; the shooting
lasted for half an hour. Then the "mopping up"
operation began. In the course of the special operation,
the representatives of the federal forces conducted themselves
rudely, engaging in theft and extortion.
On the northwest edge of the town stand three houses belonging
to the Davletkuraev family; 16 young children reside in
these houses. Around 21.00 the shelling began: several missiles
or mines were directed at the outlying home. At that very
moment, Zareta, her two-year old son, and Lyuba Davletskuraeva
were in the house. All three of them were wounded almost
immediately by the artillery fire. Lyuba began to call for
help and her brother-in-law Saidali can running toward her
from the middle building. Just as he reached Lyuba, there
was another explosion and Saidali was killed on the spot.
Half his head was blown off. Lyuba suffered a second wound
from this same explosion.
Zareta dashed to the middle building, but the soldiers redirected
their fire at it and then at the third building. The Davletkuraevs
then decided to make their way across to the neighbors'
house, which was located on the other side of the street.
Having made it over to a safe place, they heard Lyuba's
cries - she had managed to crawl to the middle building
and was calling for help. Two men formed a stretcher and
managed to carry L. Davletkuraeva away from the shooting,
but they weren't able to save her. She died before regaining
consciousness. (36)
MEMORIAL, Myths and Truth about Tsotsin-Yurt: On the outskirts
of the village on ul. Stepnaya, soldiers detained several
men at around 7.45. Idris Zakriev (born 1965) was detained
in his own home without any explanation. At that moment
his mother, Marzhan Zakrieva, his wife Laila and four children
were also at home. According to his mother and wife, they
heard how the soldiers, bursting in on him in the courtyard,
received an order by walkie-talkie to take away four people
from the four outlying buildings. Idris Zakriev tried to
show the soldiers his passport. "Put away the document!"
said the soldier, after which they led Idris out of the
courtyard. Neighbors saw how they tied his hands on the
street, rolled his clothes up over his face and pushed him
into a BTR on which the number A-611 was written. The soldiers
pushed his mother, who was trying to prevent them from taking
away her son, into the basement and threatened to toss a
grenade in after her. They ordered his wife not to move,
pointing their guns at the children. (37)
|
Human
swallowing machines: Check Points
The Check Points in Chechnya has become a black hole of human
swallowing machines. The persons detained in the check points
are severely tortured and the relatives could obtain no information
about some of those detained.
While the Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
and the Article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights
strictly prohibits arbitrary arrest, detention, threat to the
security and the deportation, as a matter of fact, every day
these rights are repeatedly violated.
| |
The
Norwegian Helsinki Committee-Forgotten Terror: Chechnya
October 2001: In a Zachistka, which the prosecutor told
us is not a legal term, all the roads and outlets from the
village are blocked by soldiers and military vehicles. There
are checkpoints and military posts everywhere; no one can
come or leave. When the soldiers approach the houses in
a district, the streets are sealed off and the soldiers
can search the houses without witnesses. The inhabitants
of the house are either pushed away or locked up in some
room or basement. Then the soldiers start destroying their
belongings. Sometimes they loot the houses. They are armed
and no one can protest. Often people are detained -- usually
men or youths of both sexes. Sometimes they are beaten in
front of their relatives. There are slurs and insults against
them for being of Chechen nationality. Persons detained
are taken to the BTRs [a type of military vehicle] and told
to strip. If the soldiers find bruises on their skin, which
supposedly indicates that they are bojeviks [Chechen fighters],
sacks are put on their heads and handcuffs on their hands
and they are taken to the nearest detention center, in our
case, the chicken farm or sometimes the mill, which they
also use. (38) |
Extra-Judicial
killings
Extra-Judicial killings are practiced especially during the
sweep operations or in the detainment cases. High numbers of
the corpses which have found that left on some places near the
settlement areas are clear proofs of the extra-judicial killings.
It is an established fact that most of these persons were previously
detained during sweep operations.
| |
MEMORIAL-Appeal
to the UN Commission for Human Rights , 27.03.2002: Most
of the disappeared persons are found in a few days, weeks
or even months in investigation isolation cells or in temporary
lock-ups. Unfortunately, there are many cases when the people
detained by federal disappear without a trace. Sometimes,
local villagers discover the bodies of persons previously
detained with marks of torture or violent death. The following
are several examples from a long list of such incidents:
A year ago, in the ruins of a settlement of dachas (cottages)
known as Dachnoye, near the main Russian military base of
Khankala, in a suburb of Grozny, a dump was found (no other
word is suitable to describe this) of the bodies of victims
of extra-judicial executions. According to the official
version of the story, more than 50 bodies were found. Most
of them bore signs of torture. About half of the bodies
were identified by relatives. Memorial knows the names of
the absolute majority of the persons identified, including
four women. They were all detained not in military combat,
but during sweeps and at checkpoints, at different times
and different places. (39) |
According
to Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article
3 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
Article 3 of European Convention of Human Rights and the Additional
Protocols II to the Four Geneva Conventions, these operations
of extra-judicial killing, genocide and the detention results
in murder are considered as violations of human rights and the
war crimes.
.............................................
25-
Forgotten Terror, Chechnya October 2001, The Norwegian Helsinki
Committee, p.8, http://www.nhc.no/engelsk/reports/country/01checnya.html
26- The non-selective use of force in Chechnya in September,
MEMORIAL, October 1999,
27- Chechen Refugee Question, Caucasus Foundation Report October
2001, By Fehim Tastekin,
http://www.kafkas.org.tr/ajans/chechen_refugee_question.htm
28- Ibid
29-Ibid
30- Human Rights Watch, Chechen Refugees Pressured to Return,
Camp Authorities Cut Rations for Some, http://www.hrw.org/press/1999/dec/chech1217.htm
31- Summary Record of the 1135th Meeting of the Committee, www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf
32- Additional Protocol II to the Geneva Conventions, Article
17: (Prohibition of forced movement of civilians):
1- The displacement of the civilian population shall not be
ordered for reasons related to the conflict unless the security
of the civilians involved or imperative military reasons so
demand. Should such displacements have to be carried out, all
possible measures shall be taken in order that the civilian
population may be received under satisfactory conditions of
shelter, hygiene, health, safety and nutrition.
2. Civilians shall not be compelled to leave their own territory
for reasons connected with the conflict.
33- Putin says the war is over, 18.04.2002, Agency Caucasus
(In Turkish)
34- Forgotten Terror: Chechnya October 2001, The Norwegian Helsinki
Committee
35- The names and the dates of ratifying of the Conventions
of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law to which Rusia is a party
are given below;
i). European Convention of Human Rights - (ratified in
05.05.1998);
ii). European Convention on the Prevention of Torture
and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (ratified in
1998);
iii). Four U.N. Geneva Conventions dated 1949 and Two
Additional Protocols dated 1977 (ratified in 29.09.1989);
iv). Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman
or Degrading Treatment and Punishment (ratified in 1987);
v). International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(ratified in 1976);
vi). International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights (ratified in 1976);
vii). International Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ratified in 1969)
Rusian Federation declared on 13.01.1992 that it has taken all
the undertakings in the international conventions that Soviet
Union ratified
36- MEMORIAL, 12-13 February 2002, "Mopping Up" Operations
in the Village of Tsotsin-Yurt,
http://www.memo.ru/eng/memhrc/texts/tsotsin2.shtml
37- MEMORIAL, December 30, 2001 - January 3, 2002, Myths and
Truth about Tsotsin-Yurt, http://www.memo.ru/eng/memhrc/texts/mythtruth.shtml
38- Forgotten Terror: Chechnya October 2001, The Norwegian Helsinki
Committee
39- MEMORIAL, 27.03.2002, Appeal to the UN Commission for Human
Rights,
http://www.memo.ru/eng/memhrc/texts/app0302.shtml
|
