Russia
17.03.03
Urgent Interventions
Russia: Kidnapping of a member of the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society
URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY
RUS 001 / 0303 / OBS 012
Kidnapping
The Russian Federation
17th March 2003
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint program of FIDH and OMCT, requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Chechnya, the Russian Federation.
Brief description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed by the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society’s (SRCF) about the kidnapping, on 15th March 2003, of Mr. Imran Abdulsalamovich Ezhiev, head of SRCF’s Information Centre in the Northern Caucasus and regional coordinator of the Moscow Helsinki Group.
M. Ezhiev was kidnapped on 15th March around 7 pm (local time) 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 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 kidnapping is allegedly related to the activities conducted by Mr. Ezhiev in the Shali district, notably the gathering of information for the annual SRCF report on human rights in Chechnya. He was indeed constantly in contact by telephone with the Center to denounce violations in the region. Moreover, Mr. 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.
According to the information received, M. Imran Ezhiev had already been arrested several times by the Russian armed forces in 2000, although no charges had been brought against him. In September 2001, he 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. His brother was killed on 17th December 2001 (See Observatory Annual Report 2001)
The Observatory notes that since the beginning of the conflict, the access to Chechnya is almost impossible for humanitarian organizations, journalists and international NGOs. The few local human rights organizations that are still trying to operate in Chechnya are confronted with daily pressures and very precarious conditions of work.
The Observatory further notes that these acts are a violation of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the General Assembly on 9 December 1998 and in particular of its article 6b according to which: “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, as provided for in human rights and other applicable international instruments, freely to publish, impart or disseminate to others views, information and knowledge on all human rights and fundamental freedoms”.
Action requested:
Please write to the authorities of the Russian Federation urging them to:
i. take all measures to find the whereabouts of M. Imran Ezhiev, release him and guarantee his physical and psychological integrity;
ii. identify and sanction those responsible for the kidnapping;
iii. Conform to the provisions of the Declaration on Humans Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, in particular article 1, which states that "everyone has the right, individually or in association with others, to promote the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”; article 12.2 which provides that “the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually or in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto o de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration.”; and article 6b mentionned above;
iv. more generally, conform to the provisions of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and international instruments relating to Human Rights which bind the Russian Federation;
Addresses:
President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, Kremlin, Moscou, Russie, Fax:+ 7 095 206 8510, Email: president@gov.ru
President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, c/o the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation, Avenue de la Paix 15, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland, fax: +4122 7344044, e-mail: mission.russian@ties.itu.int
Procurator General of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Ustinov, Rossiyskaya Federatsiya, 103793 g. Moskva K-31, Ul. B. Dimitrovka, d 15a, Prokuratura Rossiyskoy Federatsii, Generalnomu prokuroru Ustinovu V., Russian Federation, Fax: + 7 095 292 88 48
Chairman of the Presidential Human Rights Commission of the Russian Federation,
Mrs. Ella Pamfilova,Rossiyskaya Federatsiya,103132 g. Moskva,Staraya ploshchad, d 8/5,pod 3,Predsedatele Komissii po pravam cheloveka pri Prezidente, Pamfilove, Elle., Russian Federation, Fax:+70952064855
Nikolai Patrushev, Director General of the Federal Security Service, Bolshaia Lubianka 1/3, Moscow, Russia, Faxes: + 7 095 975 2470
Ambassadeur, Skotnikov, Leonid, Av. de la Paix 15, CH-1211, Genève 20, Suisse, e-mail : mission.russian@ties.itu.int, fax: +4122 734 40 44
Paris - Geneva, 17th March 2003
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims 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 / 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT : (+ 41 22) 809 49 39 / 809 49 29
E-mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch
RUS 001 / 0303 / OBS 012
Kidnapping
The Russian Federation
17th March 2003
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint program of FIDH and OMCT, requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Chechnya, the Russian Federation.
Brief description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed by the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society’s (SRCF) about the kidnapping, on 15th March 2003, of Mr. Imran Abdulsalamovich Ezhiev, head of SRCF’s Information Centre in the Northern Caucasus and regional coordinator of the Moscow Helsinki Group.
M. Ezhiev was kidnapped on 15th March around 7 pm (local time) 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 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 kidnapping is allegedly related to the activities conducted by Mr. Ezhiev in the Shali district, notably the gathering of information for the annual SRCF report on human rights in Chechnya. He was indeed constantly in contact by telephone with the Center to denounce violations in the region. Moreover, Mr. 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.
According to the information received, M. Imran Ezhiev had already been arrested several times by the Russian armed forces in 2000, although no charges had been brought against him. In September 2001, he 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. His brother was killed on 17th December 2001 (See Observatory Annual Report 2001)
The Observatory notes that since the beginning of the conflict, the access to Chechnya is almost impossible for humanitarian organizations, journalists and international NGOs. The few local human rights organizations that are still trying to operate in Chechnya are confronted with daily pressures and very precarious conditions of work.
The Observatory further notes that these acts are a violation of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the General Assembly on 9 December 1998 and in particular of its article 6b according to which: “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, as provided for in human rights and other applicable international instruments, freely to publish, impart or disseminate to others views, information and knowledge on all human rights and fundamental freedoms”.
Action requested:
Please write to the authorities of the Russian Federation urging them to:
i. take all measures to find the whereabouts of M. Imran Ezhiev, release him and guarantee his physical and psychological integrity;
ii. identify and sanction those responsible for the kidnapping;
iii. Conform to the provisions of the Declaration on Humans Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, in particular article 1, which states that "everyone has the right, individually or in association with others, to promote the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”; article 12.2 which provides that “the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually or in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto o de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration.”; and article 6b mentionned above;
iv. more generally, conform to the provisions of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and international instruments relating to Human Rights which bind the Russian Federation;
Addresses:
President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, Kremlin, Moscou, Russie, Fax:+ 7 095 206 8510, Email: president@gov.ru
President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, c/o the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation, Avenue de la Paix 15, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland, fax: +4122 7344044, e-mail: mission.russian@ties.itu.int
Procurator General of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Ustinov, Rossiyskaya Federatsiya, 103793 g. Moskva K-31, Ul. B. Dimitrovka, d 15a, Prokuratura Rossiyskoy Federatsii, Generalnomu prokuroru Ustinovu V., Russian Federation, Fax: + 7 095 292 88 48
Chairman of the Presidential Human Rights Commission of the Russian Federation,
Mrs. Ella Pamfilova,Rossiyskaya Federatsiya,103132 g. Moskva,Staraya ploshchad, d 8/5,pod 3,Predsedatele Komissii po pravam cheloveka pri Prezidente, Pamfilove, Elle., Russian Federation, Fax:+70952064855
Nikolai Patrushev, Director General of the Federal Security Service, Bolshaia Lubianka 1/3, Moscow, Russia, Faxes: + 7 095 975 2470
Ambassadeur, Skotnikov, Leonid, Av. de la Paix 15, CH-1211, Genève 20, Suisse, e-mail : mission.russian@ties.itu.int, fax: +4122 734 40 44
Paris - Geneva, 17th March 2003
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims 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 / 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT : (+ 41 22) 809 49 39 / 809 49 29
E-mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch