Russia
01.06.01
Urgent Interventions
Russia: Arbitrary arrest and detention of Dik Altemirov
URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY
RUS 001/0106/OBS 047
Arrest and arbitrary detention
Russian Federation
1 June 2001
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of FIDH and OMCT, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Russia.
Description of the facts :
The Observatory has been informed by Memorial, a Russian organisation for protection of human rights of the arrest and detention in Grozny, on 24 May 2001, of Dik Altemirov, human rights defender, by the Russian federal forces. He is accused of taking part in illegal armed groups and of being in contact with "extremist" leaders. No information has been communicated as to his place of detention.
Dik Altemirov is well known for his commitment to the defence of human rights and the right of the Chechen people to self-determination by peaceful means. After having occupied various official posts, from 1994-1996 he was President of the Assembly of political parties and Chechen social organisations during the first Chechen war. From 1996-1997 he helped the OSCE assistance mission in Grozny. Between 1997 and 1999 he regularly opposed the "wahhabites" who were supporters of Muslim fundamentalism and armed groups acting under this ideology. Finally, since the beginning of the second conflict in the region he has been in regular contact with human rights organisations and in particular with Memorial.
The Observatory believes that Dik Altemirov has been arrested because of his activity in favour of human rights and expresses its concern for his physical and psychological integrity.
Action requested :
Kindly write to the Russian authorities requesting them :
i. to immediately release Mr. Dik Altemirov from arbitrary detention;
ii. to ensure that office of the Attorney General and of Viktor Kalamanov, special representative of the President of the Russian Federation, responsible for human rights and civil liberties in the Chechen Republic undertake an enquiry as to the motives and conditions of the arrest and detention of Dik Altemirov;
iii. to comply with the terms of the declaration adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 9 December 1998 "on the right and responsibility of individuals, groups and organs of society to promote and protect universally recognised human rights and fundamental freedoms" and Article 1 in particular which states that "everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels"
iv. more generally, to comply with the terms of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and regional and international mechanisms concerning human rights, to which the Russian Federation is a party.
Addresses :
H.E. Vladimir V. Putin, President of the Russian Federation
E-mail : webmaster@gov.ru
E-mail : prespr@gov.ru
E-mail : president@gov.ru
President of the council of Federation
E-mail : akdi@akdi-ru
State Duma
E-mail : www@duma.ru
Paris - Geneva, 1 June 2001
The Observatory, a joint programme of FIDH and OMCT is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and strives to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
Tel and fax FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / 01 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT + 4122 809 49 39 / 41 22 809 49 29
E-mail: observatoire@iprolink.ch
RUS 001/0106/OBS 047
Arrest and arbitrary detention
Russian Federation
1 June 2001
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of FIDH and OMCT, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Russia.
Description of the facts :
The Observatory has been informed by Memorial, a Russian organisation for protection of human rights of the arrest and detention in Grozny, on 24 May 2001, of Dik Altemirov, human rights defender, by the Russian federal forces. He is accused of taking part in illegal armed groups and of being in contact with "extremist" leaders. No information has been communicated as to his place of detention.
Dik Altemirov is well known for his commitment to the defence of human rights and the right of the Chechen people to self-determination by peaceful means. After having occupied various official posts, from 1994-1996 he was President of the Assembly of political parties and Chechen social organisations during the first Chechen war. From 1996-1997 he helped the OSCE assistance mission in Grozny. Between 1997 and 1999 he regularly opposed the "wahhabites" who were supporters of Muslim fundamentalism and armed groups acting under this ideology. Finally, since the beginning of the second conflict in the region he has been in regular contact with human rights organisations and in particular with Memorial.
The Observatory believes that Dik Altemirov has been arrested because of his activity in favour of human rights and expresses its concern for his physical and psychological integrity.
Action requested :
Kindly write to the Russian authorities requesting them :
i. to immediately release Mr. Dik Altemirov from arbitrary detention;
ii. to ensure that office of the Attorney General and of Viktor Kalamanov, special representative of the President of the Russian Federation, responsible for human rights and civil liberties in the Chechen Republic undertake an enquiry as to the motives and conditions of the arrest and detention of Dik Altemirov;
iii. to comply with the terms of the declaration adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 9 December 1998 "on the right and responsibility of individuals, groups and organs of society to promote and protect universally recognised human rights and fundamental freedoms" and Article 1 in particular which states that "everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels"
iv. more generally, to comply with the terms of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and regional and international mechanisms concerning human rights, to which the Russian Federation is a party.
Addresses :
H.E. Vladimir V. Putin, President of the Russian Federation
E-mail : webmaster@gov.ru
E-mail : prespr@gov.ru
E-mail : president@gov.ru
President of the council of Federation
E-mail : akdi@akdi-ru
State Duma
E-mail : www@duma.ru
Paris - Geneva, 1 June 2001
The Observatory, a joint programme of FIDH and OMCT is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and strives to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
Tel and fax FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / 01 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT + 4122 809 49 39 / 41 22 809 49 29
E-mail: observatoire@iprolink.ch