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WAR AND HUMAN RIGHTS
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February 28, 2000
N 162
Interregional Human Rights Network Group
Ryazan Memorial Human Rights Society
www.hro.org/war
subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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Our work is not politically partisan. Our digest neither duplicates
the Russian federal government's position nor advocates the positions
of Chechen militants. Rather, our purpose is to present as many news
sources as possible so that readers may form their own judgement. We
seek to attract the world's attention to the mass violations of human
rights in the conflict.
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Grozny Still Forbidden
The capital of Chechnya, the city of Grozny, is still forbidden for
both entering and exiting, Radio Liberty reports. According to the
federal command, sappers are working in the city, and the interior
troops are checking passport regime. Yesterday during the so-called
"clean-up" in Oktyabrsky district 10 people were detained.
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CE Commissioner for Human Rights Begins Trip to Chechnya
Deutsche Welle reports that the Council of Europe Commissioner for
Human Rights Alvaro Gil-Robles began his trip to Chechnya on Sunday.
He is accompanied by the special representative of Russia's President
for human rights in Chechnya Vladimir Kalamanov. The day before Mr.
Gil-Robles told Interfax that he is going to work with the delegation
of the CE Committee for the Prevention of Torture, which is in Russia
too and is going to visit North Caucasus. BBC reports that Alvaro
Gil-Robles is to arrive to Grozny today. It is still unknown, though,
if Mr. Gil- Robles would be allowed to visit the filtration camp
Chernokozovo in northern Chechnya. Many people who have been to
Chernokozovo due to being suspected of participating in militants'
units tell that they were tortured during questioning. On Sunday
Alvaro Gil-Robles heard complaints about Russian soldiers' behavior,
when he was visiting the refugee camps in Ingushetia. The head of
the Committee for Human Rights said that Russian authorities allowed
him to hold an independent investigation and also gave their
agreement for creating a joint agency, to which the Chechens would be
able to address with charges against the federal servicemen.
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RF Plenipotentiary for Human Rights Not Allowed to Visit Chechnya?
Radio Echo of Moscow reports that the Plenipotentiary for Human
Rights in Russia Oleg Mironov was going to visit Chechnya, too. But
this trip didn't come about. Mironov blames RF Foreign Ministry for
purposely frustrating the trip. On February 27 a large group of
Russian human rights activists - Valery Borschov, Lyudmila Alexeeva,
Boris Altschuller, Valentina Melnikova, Valery Abramkin, Lyubov
Vinogradova, Yuri Savenko, Alexey Smirnov, Oleg Chirikov - has
addressed the chairman of the State Duma Gennady Seleznev with a
letter about the frustration of the trip of the Plenipotentiary for
Human Rights to Chechnya. The letter, in particular, says:
"Competent Russian bodies have denied the Plenipotentiary for Human
Rights in Russian Federation Oleg Mironov the possibility to make a
trip to Chechnya together with his colleague, the head of Council of
Europe's department for human rights Alvaro Gil-Robleså Disrespect
has been expressed not only towards Mr. Mironov in person, but to
the whole institution of the Plenipotentiary for Human Rights,
introduced by the Federal Constitutional law. This is a graphic
example of one thesis from the article by the RF Acting President
Vladimir Putin "Russia at the Turn of the Millennium": 'The global
experience prompts the conclusion that the main threat to human
rights and freedoms, to democracy as such emanates from the executive
authority'å"
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Andrey Babitsky Arrested
Falsification of documents (article 327 of RF Criminal Code) is
officially incriminated to Andrey Babitsky of Radio Liberty. The
Prosecutor's Office of Daghestan ordained to arrest him. The
journalist's attorney Alexander Zozulya told Radio Liberty that
Babitsky doesn't recognize himself guilty and refused to sign the
examination report. The Prosecutor's Office categorically refused to
change the arrest for written undertaking not to leave the place or
to set Babitsky free on the security of money. The defense is going
to protest the chosen preventive punishment in the court today.
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"Andrey Babitsky's Health is Bad"
Radio Liberty reports that, according to attorney Mr. Zozulya, Andrey
Babitsky's health is bad, he had also suffered a psychic trauma with
the long imprisonment and permanent menace to his life. Alexander
Zozulya emphasized that the Prosecutor's Office had chosen "an
aggressive way of behavior". Oleg Kusov of Radio Liberty, referring
to Babitsky himself, said that after the so-called "exchange" the
journalist was kept in poor conditions in some Chechen village by
people who have nothing in common with Chechen field commanders.
Unknown persons brought Babitsky to Makhachkala in a car boot. They
also gave him the passport of Azerbaijani citizen. Most likely, today
Andrey Babitsky will be allowed to see his wife. Gazeta.ru reports
that Vladimir Putin proposed the Interior Ministry to examine the
necessity of keeping Andrey Babitsky of Radio Liberty in commitment.
This was reported by the interior minister Vladimir Rushaylo after
his meeting with the Acting President of Russia.
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"They Have No Place to Return toå"
On February 26 a group of public activists of the Chechen Republic
distributed a declaration about the situation in Grozny. Among the
signatories of the declaration are: the president of the Committee
for Human Rights in the Chechen Republic Khasan Enginoev, member of
USSR Union of Writers, assistant professor of the Chechen University
Musa Akhmadov, professor Said-Magomed Dibiev, professor Ovta
Salaamov, director of Institute for Education Problems Abdullah
Arsanukaev, rector of the Chechen Branch of Moscow University for
Humanities Ruslan Goytemirov, editor of Daymokh newspaper Deni
Sambulatov, member of USSR Union of Artists Said-Emin Elmirzaev,
psychiatrist, member of Doctors of Peace Kyuri Idrisov, and Abdullah
Saidov of Lam Center for Investigation and Popularization of Chechen
Culture. The declaration, in particular, says:
"The city of Grozny, once one of the most beautiful cities of the
North Caucasus, now lies in ruins. Schools, hospitals, dwellings,
university facilities, libraries have been ruined, systems of life
support and communication have been destroyed. But even after the
storming of the Chechen capital had been finished, the barbaric
destruction of the city continues under the cover of caring for the
civilians' security. Almost every day many-storied buildings, which
allegedly are too destroyed for being restored and represent a danger
for the population, are being blown up in Grozny, this is done with
no examination or special conclusion made by expertså
"Before military actions began in September 1999, two of each three
people in Chechnya lived in Grozny. Now these people live in tent
camps, provisional dwellings in Ingushetia and Chechnya in the
conditions not suitable for humans. They have no place to return toå
"We demand to stop the destruction of the city of Grozny immediately,
to create a special commission for examining the remaining buildings,
to fasten the mine-clearing in the city's streets and the
neutralization of shells and bombs, to allow free entrance to the
city and to restore the city's life support systems. We demand to
allow international observers in Grozny for controlling the
adherence to the rights of civilians and to create conditions for the
work of humanitarian organizations for providing aid to the city's
dwellerså"
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Antiwar Action in Moscow: Number of Participants of Antiwar
Demonstrations in Moscow is Each Time Greater
115 people, flying black and black-red flags, participated in an
antiwar demonstration held on February 26, 2000 in Moscow by the
Anarchist Antiwar Movement and the representatives of human rights
organizations. The demonstration's main slogans were: "Down with
state terrorism in Chechnya!", "Down with police state!", "Freedom
to prisoners of filtration camps!". Besides the anarchists, there
were poets, a schoolteacher, a pensioner from Moscow suburbs,
representatives of the New Leftists, Youth Human Rights Center,
Yekaterinburg-based Anti- Violence Movement, Polish Federation of
Anarchists speaking. Leaflets "Only politicians need war" and Human
Rights Watch report "Hundreds of Chechens have been thrown to
filtration camps" were distributed.
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Picket in Yekaterinburg
An antiwar picket was held in Yekaterinburg on February 26. This
picket was also a kind of an action in support of the activists of
Yekaterinburg-based Anti-Violence Movement Gleb Edelev and Alexander
Zimbrovsky, who were arrested for participating in antiwar actions.
In the holdover they declared a hunger strike and refused to drink
water, too. The representatives of the Memorial Society,
Anti-Violence Movement, coordinating council of the Forum of
Re-Settlers' Organizations showed transparencies saying: "War is a
tragedy for the whole Russia!", "Deaths of children have no
justification!", "We need truth about Andrey Babitsky!", "Freedom to
prisoner of conscience Dmitry Neverovsky!", "Antimilitarists are in
prison, military criminals are free". The action's participators
distributed leaflets of the Antiwar Action Committee, materials of
human rights organizations, providing evidences of human rights
violation in Chechnya. Signatures were collected under the petition
against the war in Chechnya and in defense of Andrey Babitsky of
Radio Liberty, who was arrested in Chechnya.
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Turkey Didn't Welcome Chechen Refugees
Turkish frontier guards didn't allow about 100 refugees from
Chechnya, mostly women, children and old people, who had been on the
Georgian-Turkish border near the Georgian Vale checkpoint for more
than 10 days, to enter Turkish territory. This decision was taken
"since the refugees lacked necessary and adequate international
passports". This report, broadcast by Georgian TV on Saturday, was
confirmed by the representatives of the administration of
Samtskhe-Djavakheti district, in the territory of which the Vale
checkpoint is situated. At the same time on the day before the
Turkish side transmitted humanitarian aid - foodstuffs, clothes and
medical supplies - to this group of refugees.
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CE Experts Departed for North Caucasus
Experts of the Council of Europe are going to visit the places of
imprisonment in Daghestan, North Ossetia and Stavropol Region, and
also the holdover in the village of Chernokozovo in Naursky district
of Chechnya, Rosbusinessconsulting reports.
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Justice Ministry Denies Torture Reports
Russian NTV reports that the RF Justice Ministry has categorically
denied the mass-media reports about the "allegedly happened facts of
brutalities, humiliations, tortures and even executions of persons
held in the holdover situated in the populated area of Chernokozovo
of the Chechen Republic".
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No News about 500 Servicemen
There is no information on the whereabouts of over 500 servicemen,
who are taking part in the Chechen campaign, for half a year already,
the executive secretary of the Union of Committees of Soldiers'
Mothers Valentina Melnikova said live on Radio Echo of Moscow on
Friday. According to her, the committee can't get to know about the
fate of these soldiers either from official or from unofficial
sources.
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"It's Necessary to Express Protest against This War"
The President of the Czech Republic Vaclav Havel called upon the
world community to express resolute protest to Russia on the matter
of the war in Chechnya. Speaking on TV on Saturday, Havel said that
Moscow's actions in the Caucasus can be doubtlessly described as a
"destruction of a nation", Rosbusinessconsulting reports referring to
Deutsche Welle. "This war has nothing in common with combating
terrorism, as Russian leadership tries to present it", Havel
declared. The world's leading powers, he considers, are obliged
express their indignation with it, using political means.
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See "War and Human Rights" on the Web: www.hro.org/war
Information digest prepared by the Interregional Human Rights Network
Group and Ryazan Memorial Human Rights Society
Edited by Andrey Blinushov
Technical Editor - Julia Sereda
Translated by Oleg V. Martynov
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With use of information from: Radio Liberty, Radio Echo of Moscow,
Deutsche Welle, BBC, newspapers: Express-Chronicle, Le Monde,
ANP-RUSNET, Web-sites Lenta. ru, Russian DEADLINE, Kavkaz-center,
Gazeta. ru, Inopressa. ru, agencies: Associated Press, Interfax,
ITAR-TASS, Netherlands Press Agency, Agency of Social Information, RIA
Novosti, Reuters, Rosinformcenter, TV companies: NTV, ORT, RTR, CNN,
Amnesty International, Memorial Society, Human Rights Watch, Civic
Cooperation Society, Union of Committees of Soldiers' Mothers,
Glasnost Defense Foundation, own information.
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Sincerely,
ANDREI BLINUSHOV
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Karta/Memorial/Human Rigts Network,
Ryazan, Russia
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Stop war in Russia:
www.hro.org/war
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Ecological North West Line * St.Petersburg, Russia
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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