Russia
17.03.03
Urgent Interventions
Russia: human rights activist kidnapped while conducting research for OMCT
PRESS RELEASE
Geneva, March 17th 2003
Human rights activist kidnapped in Chechnya while conducting research for OMCT
The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) would like to express its deep concern about the kidnapping of Mr. Imran Abdulsalamovich Ezhiev, which has come about as a result of the research into violations of economic, social and cultural rights he was conducting for OMCT in Chechnya.
On March 15th 2003, at around 7 :00 pm, Mr. Ezhiev – who is also the regional coordinator of the Moscow Helsinki Group and the head of the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society’s (SRCF) Information Centre in the Northern Caucasus- was kidnapped on the road between the settlement of Shali and the village of Serzhen-Yurt. He was accompanied by Mr. Zaur Saitovich Kharipov, a correspondent for the SRCF, who reported that two other cars forced Mr. Ezhiev’s car to stop on the side of the road. Unidentified Unknown armed masked persons got out of the cars and asked Mr. Ezhiev and Mr. Kharipov to show their identity documents. They then threatened Mr. Kharipov with their weapons and forced Mr. Ezhiev into one of the cars and drove away to an unknown location. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of OMCT and the FIDH released an urgent appeal concerning this case on March 17th 2003 (RUS 001/0303/OBS).
This kidnapping is related to Mr. Imran Abdulsalamovich Ezhiev’s activities in the Shali district, notably the gathering of information for the annual SRCF report on human rights in Chechnya. Moreover, Mr. Imran Abdulsalamovich Ezhiev was also conducting research for OMCT on violations of economic, social and cultural rights in Chechnya, that was to be presented at the 31st session of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in November 2003.
Mr. Ezhiev has previously been arrested in 2000 by the armed forces of the Russian Federation, although no charges had been brought against him at that time. In September 2001, Mr. Ezhiev was again arrested at the border between Ingushetia and Chechnya and taken to the Atchkhoi Martan Headquarters. He was released 2 months later, as a result of international pressure.
OMCT is gravely concerned about Mr. Ezhiev’s physical and psychological integrity. In this respect, OMCT calls upon the Russian authorities to immediately locate Mr. Ezhiev’s whereabouts, to guarantee his personal integrity, as well as to guarantee that he is released.
For further information, please contact: Nathalie Mivelaz - tel: + 41 22 809 49 39,
e-mail: nm@omct.org
Geneva, March 17th 2003
Human rights activist kidnapped in Chechnya while conducting research for OMCT
The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) would like to express its deep concern about the kidnapping of Mr. Imran Abdulsalamovich Ezhiev, which has come about as a result of the research into violations of economic, social and cultural rights he was conducting for OMCT in Chechnya.
On March 15th 2003, at around 7 :00 pm, Mr. Ezhiev – who is also the regional coordinator of the Moscow Helsinki Group and the head of the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society’s (SRCF) Information Centre in the Northern Caucasus- was kidnapped on the road between the settlement of Shali and the village of Serzhen-Yurt. He was accompanied by Mr. Zaur Saitovich Kharipov, a correspondent for the SRCF, who reported that two other cars forced Mr. Ezhiev’s car to stop on the side of the road. Unidentified Unknown armed masked persons got out of the cars and asked Mr. Ezhiev and Mr. Kharipov to show their identity documents. They then threatened Mr. Kharipov with their weapons and forced Mr. Ezhiev into one of the cars and drove away to an unknown location. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of OMCT and the FIDH released an urgent appeal concerning this case on March 17th 2003 (RUS 001/0303/OBS).
This kidnapping is related to Mr. Imran Abdulsalamovich Ezhiev’s activities in the Shali district, notably the gathering of information for the annual SRCF report on human rights in Chechnya. Moreover, Mr. Imran Abdulsalamovich Ezhiev was also conducting research for OMCT on violations of economic, social and cultural rights in Chechnya, that was to be presented at the 31st session of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in November 2003.
Mr. Ezhiev has previously been arrested in 2000 by the armed forces of the Russian Federation, although no charges had been brought against him at that time. In September 2001, Mr. Ezhiev was again arrested at the border between Ingushetia and Chechnya and taken to the Atchkhoi Martan Headquarters. He was released 2 months later, as a result of international pressure.
OMCT is gravely concerned about Mr. Ezhiev’s physical and psychological integrity. In this respect, OMCT calls upon the Russian authorities to immediately locate Mr. Ezhiev’s whereabouts, to guarantee his personal integrity, as well as to guarantee that he is released.
For further information, please contact: Nathalie Mivelaz - tel: + 41 22 809 49 39,
e-mail: nm@omct.org