Russia
30.03.04
Urgent Interventions
Russia: Disappearances and arbitrary detentions of women in Chechnya
Case RUS 300304.VAW
Disappearances/Arbitrary detention/Violence against women
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in The Russian Federation.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a reliable source of several disappearances and arbitrary detentions of women in Chechnya.
According to the information received, between January and February 2004, at least 12 women in Chechnya and Ingushetia have been arbitrarily detained over a couple of days or have disappeared. It is reported that arrests and disappearances of women in Chechnya have greatly increased since the implementation of Operation “Fatima,” (Order No. 12/309) issued on July 9, 2003, which directs the authorities in Chechnya to specifically target Muslim women in efforts to find female suicide bombers. These disappearances and arbitrary detentions of women occur in the context of widespread and systematic disappearances, arbitrary detention, torture, and ill treatment against the civilian population in Chechnya.
The cases received include the following:
On January 4, 2004, a woman (Petimat Gambulatova) and her three daughters (Luiza, Lisa and Salmatu Musaeva) and one son (Magomed Musaev) were arrested by Russian servicemen in Grozny and taken away in a military van. The other son, Achmad Musaev, had already been arrested on December 25, 2003. None of the these people have been seen since.
On January 9, 2004, in Starye Atagi village, a woman (Madina Idrisov) was kidnapped along with two men (Aslan Samiev and Anzor Bajririev) by people who did not identify themselves, but who spoke Russian without a Chechen accent (indicating that they were Russian, not Chechen). The villagers organized a protest the next day, particularly concerned about the fact that a young woman had disappeared. On January 12, Madina was released with her hands cuffed and a bag over her head. She has refused to describe how she was treated during her detention.
On January 15, 2004, at around 2:00 a.m., in the village of Gechi, region of Urus Martan, Eliza Adieva was kidnapped from outside her house. Her mother reported “We were just coming home from the city of Urus Martan when in front of our house a car without license plates stopped and several men in masks forced my daughter Eliza into the car. They did not say who they were nor where they would take my daughter. I have not managed to find out where Eliza is at the moment and what they claim she has done. My daughter has four small children alone as her husband has already been disappeared in the spring of 2001.” It was also reported that Eliza had been arrested in December 2003, but was released. There has been no further information concerning Eliza's whereabouts.
On January 19, 2004, another woman, Luiza Mutaeva was kidnapped from her home in the village of Assinovskaya. It is reported that 20 Russian soldiers went to Luiza's house, all of them masked except for six. They forced open the door to the house and demanded to have all the male members of the house. The mother explained that the only males in the house were her disabled husband and her 12 year old son. At that point, it appeared that the soldiers would leave, but then they saw the two daughters and demanded that the young women go with them, promising that they would immediately release them. The mother and father protested and negotiated at least that the younger daughter would not have to leave. The mother also tried to go with Luiza (the elder daughter) but the soldiers prevented her from entering the car. The cars, which had no license plates, drove away quickly. Luiza has not been seen since. Luiza is the sister of one of women who allegedly took part in the Moscow theatre hostage taking in 2002.
Also on January 19, 2004, in the village of Katyr-Jurt, Milana Ozdoeva was abducted by Russian soldiers. The soldiers first beat up all the male members of the family and then forced Milana into their car. It is reported that a couple of weeks earlier, while Milana was at the local administration offices on January 5, the soldiers said to her “We have information about the fact that you want to be a ‘Shachid’ (female suicide bomber).” Milana reportedly told them “I have two little children to look after and couldn't be further from what you are suggesting.” Milana has not yet been found.
On January 22, Gulshana Abdullaeva was abducted in the village of Assinovskaya. It is reported that her father, Apani Abdullaev, was also abducted earlier that same evening. Her father reported that he was taken to a cellar where there were 30 soldiers (both Russian and Chechen). They beat Apani while asking him questions. Later, they brought Gulshana into the room and threatened to beat her if he did not answer the questions. Apani was tortured before his daughter's eyes until he lost consciousness. Then, the soldiers drove away.
On February 25, armed men dressed in camouflage abducted Kamila Magomadova in the Michurin settlement of Grozny. According to an eyewitness, Kamila disappeared after she went to buy food at a kiosk. The eyewitnesses report that the abductors were driving a silver VAZ-21099 car with tinted windows. She has not been seen since.
On February 26, two Chechen refugees (Malika Davtmirzaeva and Malkan Zalaeva) were abducted in Nasran (Ingushetia) by armed men wearing camouflage outfits. The relatives of these women cannot imagine any reason why they would be abducted. They have not yet been found.
These cases are illustrative of the increasing numbers of women who are being arbitarily detained and frequently disappeared in Chechnya, and the neighboring republic of Ingushetia, since the implementation of Operation Fatima. OMCT expresses its grave concern that this order has had the effect of making women more vulnerable to human rights violations, including arbitrary detention and disappearances.
OMCT is deeply concerned for the physical and pyschological integrity of the women who have disappeared and calls upon the Russian government to immediately locate them and release them in the absence of valid charges against them. OMCT also expresses its concern for the physical and psychological integrity of the women who have been arbitrarily detained and calls on the government to provide compensation to these victims. OMCT reminds the Russian government that the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, in article 4(c), states that States should “exercise due diligence to prevent, investigate and, in accordance with national legislation, punish acts of violence against women, whether those acts are perpetrated by the State or by private persons.”
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in The Russian Federation urging them to:
i. take all measures necessary to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the afore-mentioned persons;
ii. immediately locate the whereabouts of the women who have disappeared;
iii. guarantee that adequate reparation is provided to the victims of these abuses;
iv. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these arrests and disappearances, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
v. ensure that all anti-terrorism legislation and measures conform to and are implemented in accordance with international human rights standards; and
vi. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses
President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, Pl. Staraya 4, Kremlin, 103132 Moscow, Russian Federation, Fax: +7 095 206 5173/230 2408, E-mail: president@gov.ru
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Igor Ivanov, Smolenskaya-Sennaya pl, 32/34, 121200 Moscow, Russian Federation, Fax: +7 095 244 2203
Minister of Internal Affairs, Boris Gryzlov, ul. Zhitnaya, 16, 117049 Moscow, Russian Federation, Fax: +7 095 237 49 25
Minister of Justice, Yurii Chaika, Ul. Vorontsovo Pole 4, 109830 Moscow, Russian Federation, Fax: +7 095 916 29 03/ 209 61 38
Procurator General of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Ustinov, Ul. Bolshaya Dimitrovka15a, 103793 Moscow, Russian Federation, Fax: +7 095 292 88 48
Chairwoman of the Presidential Human Rights Commission of the Russian Federation, Ella Pamfilova, ,Staraya ploshchad 8/5, pod 3, 103132 Moscow, Russian Federation, Fax: +70952064855
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
Chairperson of the Moscow Procuracy, Mikhail Avdiukov, Novokuznetskaia ul. 27, 113184 Moscow, Russian Federation,
Fax: +7 095 951 5040
Please also write to the embassies of The Russian Federation in your respective country.
Geneva, March 30, 2004
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Disappearances/Arbitrary detention/Violence against women
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in The Russian Federation.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a reliable source of several disappearances and arbitrary detentions of women in Chechnya.
According to the information received, between January and February 2004, at least 12 women in Chechnya and Ingushetia have been arbitrarily detained over a couple of days or have disappeared. It is reported that arrests and disappearances of women in Chechnya have greatly increased since the implementation of Operation “Fatima,” (Order No. 12/309) issued on July 9, 2003, which directs the authorities in Chechnya to specifically target Muslim women in efforts to find female suicide bombers. These disappearances and arbitrary detentions of women occur in the context of widespread and systematic disappearances, arbitrary detention, torture, and ill treatment against the civilian population in Chechnya.
The cases received include the following:
On January 4, 2004, a woman (Petimat Gambulatova) and her three daughters (Luiza, Lisa and Salmatu Musaeva) and one son (Magomed Musaev) were arrested by Russian servicemen in Grozny and taken away in a military van. The other son, Achmad Musaev, had already been arrested on December 25, 2003. None of the these people have been seen since.
On January 9, 2004, in Starye Atagi village, a woman (Madina Idrisov) was kidnapped along with two men (Aslan Samiev and Anzor Bajririev) by people who did not identify themselves, but who spoke Russian without a Chechen accent (indicating that they were Russian, not Chechen). The villagers organized a protest the next day, particularly concerned about the fact that a young woman had disappeared. On January 12, Madina was released with her hands cuffed and a bag over her head. She has refused to describe how she was treated during her detention.
On January 15, 2004, at around 2:00 a.m., in the village of Gechi, region of Urus Martan, Eliza Adieva was kidnapped from outside her house. Her mother reported “We were just coming home from the city of Urus Martan when in front of our house a car without license plates stopped and several men in masks forced my daughter Eliza into the car. They did not say who they were nor where they would take my daughter. I have not managed to find out where Eliza is at the moment and what they claim she has done. My daughter has four small children alone as her husband has already been disappeared in the spring of 2001.” It was also reported that Eliza had been arrested in December 2003, but was released. There has been no further information concerning Eliza's whereabouts.
On January 19, 2004, another woman, Luiza Mutaeva was kidnapped from her home in the village of Assinovskaya. It is reported that 20 Russian soldiers went to Luiza's house, all of them masked except for six. They forced open the door to the house and demanded to have all the male members of the house. The mother explained that the only males in the house were her disabled husband and her 12 year old son. At that point, it appeared that the soldiers would leave, but then they saw the two daughters and demanded that the young women go with them, promising that they would immediately release them. The mother and father protested and negotiated at least that the younger daughter would not have to leave. The mother also tried to go with Luiza (the elder daughter) but the soldiers prevented her from entering the car. The cars, which had no license plates, drove away quickly. Luiza has not been seen since. Luiza is the sister of one of women who allegedly took part in the Moscow theatre hostage taking in 2002.
Also on January 19, 2004, in the village of Katyr-Jurt, Milana Ozdoeva was abducted by Russian soldiers. The soldiers first beat up all the male members of the family and then forced Milana into their car. It is reported that a couple of weeks earlier, while Milana was at the local administration offices on January 5, the soldiers said to her “We have information about the fact that you want to be a ‘Shachid’ (female suicide bomber).” Milana reportedly told them “I have two little children to look after and couldn't be further from what you are suggesting.” Milana has not yet been found.
On January 22, Gulshana Abdullaeva was abducted in the village of Assinovskaya. It is reported that her father, Apani Abdullaev, was also abducted earlier that same evening. Her father reported that he was taken to a cellar where there were 30 soldiers (both Russian and Chechen). They beat Apani while asking him questions. Later, they brought Gulshana into the room and threatened to beat her if he did not answer the questions. Apani was tortured before his daughter's eyes until he lost consciousness. Then, the soldiers drove away.
On February 25, armed men dressed in camouflage abducted Kamila Magomadova in the Michurin settlement of Grozny. According to an eyewitness, Kamila disappeared after she went to buy food at a kiosk. The eyewitnesses report that the abductors were driving a silver VAZ-21099 car with tinted windows. She has not been seen since.
On February 26, two Chechen refugees (Malika Davtmirzaeva and Malkan Zalaeva) were abducted in Nasran (Ingushetia) by armed men wearing camouflage outfits. The relatives of these women cannot imagine any reason why they would be abducted. They have not yet been found.
These cases are illustrative of the increasing numbers of women who are being arbitarily detained and frequently disappeared in Chechnya, and the neighboring republic of Ingushetia, since the implementation of Operation Fatima. OMCT expresses its grave concern that this order has had the effect of making women more vulnerable to human rights violations, including arbitrary detention and disappearances.
OMCT is deeply concerned for the physical and pyschological integrity of the women who have disappeared and calls upon the Russian government to immediately locate them and release them in the absence of valid charges against them. OMCT also expresses its concern for the physical and psychological integrity of the women who have been arbitrarily detained and calls on the government to provide compensation to these victims. OMCT reminds the Russian government that the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, in article 4(c), states that States should “exercise due diligence to prevent, investigate and, in accordance with national legislation, punish acts of violence against women, whether those acts are perpetrated by the State or by private persons.”
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in The Russian Federation urging them to:
i. take all measures necessary to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the afore-mentioned persons;
ii. immediately locate the whereabouts of the women who have disappeared;
iii. guarantee that adequate reparation is provided to the victims of these abuses;
iv. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these arrests and disappearances, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
v. ensure that all anti-terrorism legislation and measures conform to and are implemented in accordance with international human rights standards; and
vi. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses
President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, Pl. Staraya 4, Kremlin, 103132 Moscow, Russian Federation, Fax: +7 095 206 5173/230 2408, E-mail: president@gov.ru
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Igor Ivanov, Smolenskaya-Sennaya pl, 32/34, 121200 Moscow, Russian Federation, Fax: +7 095 244 2203
Minister of Internal Affairs, Boris Gryzlov, ul. Zhitnaya, 16, 117049 Moscow, Russian Federation, Fax: +7 095 237 49 25
Minister of Justice, Yurii Chaika, Ul. Vorontsovo Pole 4, 109830 Moscow, Russian Federation, Fax: +7 095 916 29 03/ 209 61 38
Procurator General of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Ustinov, Ul. Bolshaya Dimitrovka15a, 103793 Moscow, Russian Federation, Fax: +7 095 292 88 48
Chairwoman of the Presidential Human Rights Commission of the Russian Federation, Ella Pamfilova, ,Staraya ploshchad 8/5, pod 3, 103132 Moscow, Russian Federation, Fax: +70952064855
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
Chairperson of the Moscow Procuracy, Mikhail Avdiukov, Novokuznetskaia ul. 27, 113184 Moscow, Russian Federation,
Fax: +7 095 951 5040
Please also write to the embassies of The Russian Federation in your respective country.
Geneva, March 30, 2004
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.