Effects of Torture Among Chechen Refugees in Norway
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Effects of torture among Chechen refugees in Norway Report by Amnesty International Danish Medical Group 2006 Effects of torture among Chechen refugees in Norway REPORT BY AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL DANISH MEDICAL GROUP 2006 THE DOCTORS BEHIND THE REPORT ARE: Tania Nicole Masmas MD Claes Kjær MD Lise Worm MD Morten Ekstrøm MD © Amnesty International, Danish section Quoting the text is permitted when mentioning Amnesty International as the source GRAPHIC DESIGN OG PHOTO: Michala Clante Bendixen PRINT: Scanprint, November 2006 ISBN: 87-88252-16-7 Amnesty International Gammeltorv 8, 5. sal DK-1457 København K Denmark e-mail: [email protected] www.amnesty.dk CONTENTS Introduction 5 Ethical Aspects 6 Material 6 Methods 6 Results 6 Medical examination 8 Discussion 8 Conclusion 9 Table 1: Background characteristics of Chechen examinees 10 Table II: Interview chart 11 Table III: Circumstances surrounding arrest and imprisonment 12 Table IV: Types of torture and other cruel inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 14 Table V: Physical and psychological symptoms 15 Table VI: Physical findings of objective examination 16 Table VII: Anatomical distribution of all scars 16 Photos 17 Cases 18 References 25 Northern Caucasus and Georgia GIMU / PGDS Geographic Information and Mapping Unit As of March 2004 Population and Geographic Data Section Email : [email protected] Shpakovskoye Termirgoyevskaya Blagodarnoyy R Novokubansk O W . StavropoStavropolll C StavropoStavropolll L 3 A _ A I G R O E Kurganinsk G Giaginskaya S Kalinovskoye U S A Levokumskoye C U Urozhaynoye A BelorechensBelorecensk Prikumsk C Sovetskaya N Proskoveya R E H Aleksandrovskoye T Khanskaya R Kochubeyevskoye O Labinsk Nevinnomyssk N Yaroslavskaya STAVROPOLSTAVROPOL KRAII Voznesenskaya STAVROPOLSTAVROPOL KRAII Achikulak Sablinskoye ApsheronsApseronskk Mostovskoy Otradnaya Zelenokumsk DAGESTAN Neftegorsk Irgakly Kayasula Kamennomostskiy CChherkesserkesskk Stepnoye Caspian ADYGEA Suvorovskaya Mineralnyye Vody ?? Sea Georgiyevsk Psebay Ustdzhegutinskaya Lermontov RUSSIAN FEDERATION Ust'-Dzeguta Yessentuki Pyatigorsk Uchkeken Novopavlovskaya Sary-Tyuz Zelencukskaja Marinskaya KARATCHAY-CHERKESSIA Kizlyar Karachayevsk Mozdok Prokhladnyy Kargalinskaya Krasnaya Polyana Baksan ZnZnameamennskskooyyee Mayskiy Aki-Yurt Naurskaya Nadterechnaya Dokshukino Malgobek Babayurt SochSochiii Chegem Pervyy Kalinovskaya Chervlennaya NalchiNalchikk Terek Teberda Bylym NalchiNalchikk Sovetskoye Tyrnyauz INGUSHETIINGUSHETIA INGUSHETIINGUSHETIA GGrrroznoznyy Gudermes Gagra KABARDINO-BALKARIA Sleptsovskaya KKhhazavyazavyuurrrttt Urukh Argun KKhhazavyazavyuurrrttt Kvemo-Kolkhida NazNazrrraann Nesterovskaia Kizilyurt Chikola Ardon Achkhay-Martan Lidzava Digora Urus-Martan Shali ABKHAZIA Alagir VladikavkazVladikavkaz SSukhumukhumiii CHECHNYA VedenVedenoo MakhachkalMakhachkalaa Kvemo-gulripsh NORTH OSSETIA VedenVedenoo Kaspiysk Nizhniy Unal ShatoShatoyy Tkvarcheli Buynaksk LarLarss Black Sea Ochamchira Itum-KalItum-KalItum-Kaliii Botlikh Tsageri ShShaatiltiltiliii GalGaliii ShShaatiltiltiliii ZZugdidugdidiii 0 40 80 Levashi Sergokala SOUTHSOUTH OSSETIA Tkibuli kilometres Khoni Sachkhere Chiatura Senaki Kutaisi Abasha Tskhinvali Poti Samtredia Zestafoni Leningori Tianeti Vani Bagdadi Kareli Lanchkhuti AkhmetAkhmetaa Khashuri Kvareli Ozurgeti Kaspi Telavi LEGEND Borzhomi Mtskheta Kobuleti GEORGIA Lagodekhi Capital ELEVATION Bakuriani Sagaredzho Gurdzhaani (Above mean sea level) TBILISTBILISIII Belakan UNHCR Branch / Liaison office TBILISTBILISIII Office of Charge de Mission Below mean sea level BatumBatumiii ADJARIA ADJARIA Akhaltsikhe Tsnori Zaqatala UNHCR Sub office 0 to 250 metres Tsalka Tetri-Tskaro Rustavi UNHCR Field office 250 to 500 metres 500 to 750 metres Khryuk UNHCR presence Marneuli Tsiteli-Tskaro 750 to 1000 metres Bolnisi Akhalkalaki QAKH Town of interest 1000 to 1750 metres Hopa Shulaveri 1750 to 2500 metres Dmanisi International boundary 2500 to 3250 metres Bagdanovka Administrative boundary 3250 to 4000 metres Artvin Sheki Main road PazaOverr 4000 metres TURKEY Alaverdi Akstafa Secondary road Ardahan Kazakh Cayeli AZERBAIJAN Oghus Railway Rize AZERBAIJAN Tauz Printed: 18 March 2004 Tumanyan The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. Sources: UNHCR. © INALCO / Laboratoire de cartographie de l'universite de Tbilissi. Global Insight digital mapping - © 1998 Europa Technologies Ltd. INTRODUCTION One of Amnesty International Danish Medical The Danish Medical Group visited Norway twice. Group’s prime concerns is to document whether The first time was on 5th - 6th October 2005 and the torture has taken place. Medical documentation is second time on 11th -12th January 2006. A total of a crucial implement for preventing torture and ill 21 Chechen refugees were interviewed and exam- treatment. ined. The examinations took place in a secure and confidential setting where only the examinee, two During the recent conflicts in Chechnya a number physicians and an interpreter were present. of human rights organizations have reported seri- ous human rights violations including extrajudi- The report was drawn up in collaboration with cial killings, detention without charge or trial and Amnesty International Norway, the Norwegian torture. In the vast majority of cases the violations support association for Chechnya and the Norwe- were committed by Russian forces but it has re- gian Refugee Council. It contains a description of cently emerged that Chechen armed forces are also the torture methods used, their psychological and responsible for serious human rights abuses. physical impact on the Chechen refugees and an objective, medical description of the findings of the However, reports that include medical assessments examination. of Chechen torture victims (see references 1-3) are sparse. There are relatively few Chechens in Den- According to the UNHCR, European countries mark although several thousand Chechen refugees received slightly more than 20,000 asylum seek- are staying in Norway. A number of these were ers from Russia in 2005. The vast majority were previously interviewed by the Norwegian support Chechens (7). association for Chechnya (4) but were not exam- ined with a view to documenting the physical and The physicians of Amnesty International Danish psychological consequences of torture. Medical Group are unpaid and independent of po- litical interests. The examinations took place in a Four members of the Amnesty International Dan- different country from that in which the abuse oc- ish Medical Group consequently decided to go to curred and could consequently be carried out with- Norway in order to examine the Chechen refugees out interference from public authorities or others. and determine whether it can be medically docu- mented that torture of civilians has taken place in Chechnya over the past 10 to 15 years (1-6). “On the last day they put a hood over my head and drove me out into the woods and shot me. They thought I was dead but a shepherd found me “I was blindfolded, my hands were tied behind my and brought me to the hospital where I spent two back and I was taken to an empty house where they months. While I was in hospital they had to remove interrogated me about the other inhabitants of my one of my kidneys, part of my intestine and my village. And then they started to torture me.” spleen. I never dared go home again.” 34 year old Chechen woman 22-year-old Chechen man “During the interrogations I was blindfolded and “Two of the torturers raped me several times, they handcuffed. They kicked and beat me with clubs kicked me in the back and the loin and beat me all or rifle butts; my nose was broken, among other over. They also threatened to go after my children things, and several of my teeth were knocked out.” next time.” 40 year old Chechen man 34 year old Chechen woman 5 ETHICAL ASPECTS MATERIAL The Danish Medical Group’s ethical considerations The study comprised a total of 21 adult ethnic are in accordance with the International Code of Chechens, 2 women and 19 men, between the ages Medical Ethics (World Medical Association 1959, of 22 and 59, who had either been granted asylum 1968, 1983) and the ethical conditions set forth in or had sought asylum in Norway. The reader is the UN Istanbul Protocol. (8). In documentation referred to Table 1 for further information on the work it is the physician’s responsibility never to background of the 21 Chechens. injure the individual regardless of the overall aim. According to their own statements the examine- It is therefore crucial to ensure that the individual es had all been subjected to extrajudicial detention, examinee does not suffer retraumatization by re- interrogation and torture or other cruel, inhuman telling the story of his or her torture. or degrading treatment or punishment. It is also the physician’s responsibility to ensure that those examined do not risk reprisals against themselves or their families. The stories have con- METHOD sequently been anonym zed. Subsequent talks with contact persons from the The Chechens were all examined by two physi- examined group have made no mention of any cians from Amnesty International Danish Medical psychological ill effects of the examinations. The Group and a professional interpreter was present at examinees were all offered treatment in the Norwe- all examinations. The interviews were structured gian healthcare system as needed. according to the categories in Table II. The exami- nees were questioned