Russian Federation: Follow-up of case EGY 170609_Mr. Abdullaev Maskhud Supyanovich deported to the Russian Federation_Enforced disappearance and fear for his safety

Expulsion/ Enforced disappearance/ Risk of torture and other forms of ill-treatment/ Fear for safety

The International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) has received new information in the following situation in the Russian Federation.

New Information

The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society (RCFS), a member of OMCT SOS-Torture Network, about the enforced disappearance of Mr. Abdullaev Maskhud Supyanovich (born on 23 October 1986), following his deportation by the Egyptian authorities to Moscow, Russian Federation.

According to the information received, Mr. Abdullaev Maskhud Supyanovich was deported on 20 June 2009 from Egypt. Since his arrival at Moscow Domodedovo airport, his whereabouts have remained unknown raising fear for his physical and psychological integrity. Several human rights activists were reportedly waiting for Mr. Abdullaev Maskhud Supyanovich at the airport but to no avail.

According to the same information, the other Russian nationals from Chechnya arrested along with Mr. Abdullaev Maskhud Supyanovich were deported to Moscow on 18 June 2009. Upon their arrival at Domodedovo airport, they were reportedly interrogated several hours by security forces and later released.

OMCT is particularly concerned for the safety of Mr. Abdullaev Maskhud Supyanovich, as his father is a Chechen independence movement leader, currently wanted by the Chechen authorities. According to the same information, similar situations have already been reported whereby relatives of Chechen independence movement militants have been arrested and subsequently tortured and ill-treated by Chechen security forces in order to exert pressure on the militants. Mr. Abdullaev Maskhud Supyanovich left the Chechen Republic in 1999 with his mother, first going to Azerbaijan, where his family obtained refugee status, and later to Egypt in order to study at the Al-Azhar Islamic University.

OMCT urges the Russian authorities to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Abdullaev Maskhud Supyanovich at all times in accordance with international human rights law, in particular the provisions of the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and to take all necessary measures to immediately locate his whereabouts.

Background information

OMCT was informed about the risk of imminent expulsion to the Russian Federation of Ms. Mustapaeva Zina, Ms. Tarzaeva Zalina, Mr. Adikhadjiev Mukhammed-Amin, Mr. Akhmadov Usam, Mr. Azimov Akhmed and Mr. Abdullaev Maskhud Supyanovich, six Russian nationals from Chechnya who were residing in Egypt in order to pursue their studies. They were reportedly detained incommunicado since they had been arrested until they were brought on 17 June 2009 to the Minister of the Interior, in Cairo. None was reportedly able to lodge an appeal against the decision of expulsion and no further information was provided as to the reasons of this decision

According to the information received, all six were arrested on 27 May 2009 in a wave of arrests[1] by the Egyptian State Security Investigations (SSI) officers, allegedly in connection with a routine inspection of their residence status. However, all six had reportedly their residence permits renewed before their arrest and no further information was provided by the Egyptian authorities as to the exact reasons of their detention. According to the same information, four other students from the Chechen Republic (whose names were not provided), who were also arrested on 27 May 2009, were expulsed on a special flight to Moscow on 9 June 2009. While three of them were eventually released after several hours of interrogation by FSB and Chechen security forces in Moscow (no further information available on the conditions of the detention), one was allegedly transferred to Chechnya. His family reportedly paid a ransom in order to have him released.

Action requested

Please write to the authorities in the Russian Federation urging them to

1. Take all necessary measures to locate Mr. Abdullaev Maskhud Supyanovich;
2. Take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Abdullaev Maskhud Supyanovich;
3. Guarantee Mr. Abdullaev Maskhud Supyanovich immediate access to adequate and independent medical care, as well as immediate and unconditional access to a lawyer of his choice and his family;
4. Order his immediate release in the absence of valid legal charges that are consistent with international law and standards, or, if such charges exist, bring him before an impartial, independent, competent and fair tribunal and guarantee his procedural rights at all times;
5. Guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with international human rights standards, in particular the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Addresses

• Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, President of the Russian Federation, Kremlin, Moscow, Russia, Faxes:+ 7 495 206 5173 / 230 2408, Email: president@gov.ru;
• Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, Mr. Yuri Chayka,, 125993, Moskva K-31, Ul. B. Dimitrovka, d 15a, Russian Federation, Fax: + 7 (495)692-17-25;
• Chairwoman of the Presidential Human Rights Commission of the Russian Federation, Ella Pamfilova, 103132 g. Moskva, Staraya ploshchad, d 8/5,pod 3, Russian Federation, Fax: +7 495 20 64 855;
• Vladimir Lukin, Russian Federal Ombudsman for Human Rights, Fax: +7 495 207-74-70;
• Minister of Internal Affairs, Rashid Nurgaliev, ul. Zhitnaya, 16, 117049 Moscow, Russian Federation, Telegram: Rossiia, 117049, Moskva, Fax: + 7 495 237 49 25;
• Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, Smolenskaya-Sennaya pl, 32/34, 121200 Moscow, Russian Federation, Telegram: Fax:+ 7 495 230 21 30;
• Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations in Geneva Av. de la Paix 15, CH-1211, Geneva 20, Switzerland, e-mail : mission.russian@ties.itu.int, fax: +4122 734 40 44;

Please also write to the embassies of the Russian Federation in your respective country.

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Geneva, 29 June 2009

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.

[1] A wave of arrests took place on 27 May 2009 among foreign students at Al-Azhar University, the majority being from the Caucus region.