DOCSLIB.ORG

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— Extensions of Remarks E1379 HON

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— Extensions of Remarks E1379 HON July 20, 2010 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1379 things I work for is clarity.’’ The completed The Helsinki Commission has been at the take effective measures to stop the harass- piece was released during an American bicen- forefront of drawing attention to the human ment, persecution and attacks against human tennial ceremony and captures the very es- rights situation in Chechnya and elsewhere in activists and journalists in the Russian Federa- sence of American pride and patriotism. For the North Caucasus region of Russia, having tion and to end the impunity for those respon- those of you who have seen ‘‘The Prayer at held numerous hearings and briefings. Not- sible for the murder of Natalya Estemirova and Valley Forge’’, the suffering, the pressure, and withstanding the assertions by the powers that others. Only then will there be hope that the General Washington’s faith in America is per- be in Moscow that the situation in Chechnya situation in Chechnya will return to anything fectly understood and visualized. has returned to normal, the reality on the approaching normal. In the 1950’s, Mr. Friberg partnered with ground reveals otherwise. The recently re- f Hollywood producer Cecil B. DeMille to serve leased 2009 Country Reports on Human as chief artist and designer for DeMille’s epic Rights Practices, issued by the Department of IN HONOR OF PENNSYLVANIA motion-picture, ‘‘The Ten Commandments.’’ State, found that the Russian government’s al- STATE REPRESENTATIVE BRYAN Mr. Friberg’s 15 paintings for ‘‘The Ten Com- ready poor human rights record in the North BARBIN AND HIS EFFORTS TO mandments’’ served as the pictorial basis for Caucasus worsened during the reporting pe- RAISE AWARENESS OF TRAU- the scenes, characters, and costumes of the riod, with a marked increase in extrajudicial MATIC BRAIN INJURY legendary film. For his efforts, Mr. Friberg killings by both government and rebel forces earned an Academy Award Nomination in and politically motivated disappearances in HON. MARK S. CRITZ 1956. Chechnya as well as in neighboring Ingushetia OF PENNSYLVANIA Other famous works include Mr. Friberg’s and Dagestan. The Helsinki Commission re- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES work for his church, The Church of Jesus mains deeply concerned over ongoing human Tuesday, July 20, 2010 Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mr. Friberg painted rights abuses, legal impunity, and the perme- and designed covers for the children’s maga- ating climate of fear in the North Caucasus. Mr. CRITZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to zine, The Friend, and has depicted well-known While one cannot discount that terrorist ele- recognize the hundreds-of-thousands of U.S. scenes and moments from The Book of Mor- ments are responsible for some of the rights service members and veterans impacted by mon. These paintings are loved and cele- violations in that region, many of the reported traumatic brain injuries. brated by members of the LDS Church around abuses are perpetrated by federal and local Earlier this morning, Congressman BILL the world. security forces in Chechnya, including the pri- PASCRELL and I welcomed Pennsylvania State Mr. Friberg was born in a Chicago suburb, vate militia of Chechen strongman Ramzan Representative Bryan Barbin to the U.S. Cap- but by the 1950’s, he was an established resi- Kadyrov, the republic’s Kremlin-backed presi- itol. Representative Barbin completed a seven- dent of Utah. Utah Governor Gary Herbert re- dent. While it remains unclear what, if any role day motorcycle ride through seven state cap- cently called Mr. Friberg Utah’s ‘‘adopted Kadyrov had in Estemirova’s killing, his con- itals to raise awareness of the impact of trau- son.’’ His Utah family will miss him, but his tempt for her and other human rights defend- matic brain injuries, and to deliver the fol- memory and his artwork will live on forever. ers is palpable. Earlier this month Kadyrov lowing resolution that was adopted by the f publicly labeled independent journalists and House of Representatives of the Common- rights activists as ‘‘traitors and enemies of the wealth of Pennsylvania on June 23, 2010. It CHECHNYA A YEAR AFTER THE state.’’ Among those targeted by the Chechen reads: KILLING OF NATALYA leader is the respected Russian rights organi- Whereas, More than 1.5 million United ESTEMIROVA zation Memorial. States military personnel have deployed to Madam Speaker, as Co-Chairman of the Iraq or Afghanistan since the start of mili- HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS Helsinki Commission I remain concerned over tary operations in 2001, and military statis- the deterioration of the human rights situation tics show that at least 115,000 troops have OF FLORIDA suffered brain injuries related to IED explo- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES in the North Caucasus generally, and sions since the Iraq and Afghanistan wars Chechnya specifically. I am not alone in this Tuesday, July 20, 2010 began; and regard, as the Council of Europe’s Parliamen- Whereas, Brain injury has been labeled a Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, tary Assembly adopted a resolution late last signature injury of the wars in Iraq and Af- a year ago this month Natalya Estemirova, the month on the North Caucasus. The measure ghanistan and brain injuries occurring leading human rights defender in Chechnya pointed to a series of specific concerns in among soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghani- was abducted near her apartment building in Chechnya against the backdrop of what it stan are strongly associated with post-trau- the capital city of Grozny by unidentified men, characterized as ‘‘a climate of pervading fear’’ matic stress disorder and physical health transported to the neighboring republic of problems after soldiers return home; and nurtured by the current authorities: recurrent Whereas, Concern has been emerging about Ingushetia, and brutally killed. She led a cou- disappearances of government opponents and the possible long-term effects of combat-re- rageous life of denouncing corruption, calling human rights defenders still remain widely lated brain injuries. Significant numbers of for a fair judicial system, and standing up for unpunished; continuing threats and reprisals, undiagnosed injuries and the failure by med- human rights. For that she was cut down. including abductions of relatives of persons ical personnel to include such information in While her killers may have ended her life, they suspected of belonging to illegal armed fac- soldiers’ permanent medical files has been will never silence the voice she brought to tions; and ongoing intimidation of the media identified as serious in studies prepared by medical and army experts; and these issues. Ms. Estemirova’s work was well and civil society, among others. known to the Helsinki Commission, which I co- Whereas, Without diagnosis and official Ramzan Kadyrov’s utter contempt for documentation, soldiers with head wounds chair, and colleagues there recall her 2006 human rights and fundamental freedoms was have struggled to receive appropriate treat- visit to discuss the situation in Chechnya. Like again manifested recently in his reaction to ment, sometimes receiving psychotropic Estemirova, all too many of her fellow human paintball gun attacks against women on the drugs instead of rehabilitative therapy that rights defenders and journalists are targeted streets of Grozny apparently because they could help retrain their brains; and because they have the temerity to speak out were not wearing headscarves. Instead of Whereas, The Defense and Veterans Brain about human rights abuses. condemning the assaults, the Chechen presi- Injury Center, DVBIC, in Johnstown has Today, inspired by Estemirova’s work, I in- dent reportedly praised the perpetrators. While been assisting returning veterans with reha- troduce a measure expressing solidarity with bilitative therapy since 2006; and Kadyrov has largely been given free rein in Whereas, In January 2009, Congress man- human rights defenders in the Russian Fed- Chechnya, that does not absolve his backers dated DVBIC to establish an assisted living eration; urging the Russian authorities to take in Moscow from responsibility for the deterio- pilot program to determine the best prac- appropriate steps to end the harassment, per- rating human rights situation in that part of the tices to rehabilitate soldiers with mild, mod- secution and attacks against activists; and Russian Federation. erate or severe traumatic brain injuries to calling for an end to impunity for those respon- As a participating State of the Organization enable them to return to their own commu- sible for such acts, including through the con- for Security and Cooperation in Europe, it is nities, therefore be it ducting of timely, transparent and thorough incumbent upon the Russian authorities to en- Resolved, That the House of Representa- tives designate July 7, 2010, as ‘‘Combat-Re- criminal investigations into the unresolved sure that fundamental freedoms are respected lated Brain Injury and Post Traumatic murders of human rights defenders, journal- throughout the country, including in the North Stress Disorder Awareness Day’’ in Pennsyl- ists, and political opposition members and the Caucasus. Turning a blind eye to human vania to promote public understanding and prosecution of all of those responsible for rights violations is unacceptable. I urge Presi- encourage all citizens to help bind the these crimes. dent Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin to wounds of our returning soldiers. VerDate Mar 15 2010 05:31 Jul 21, 2010 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A20JY8.036 E20JYPT1 tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with REMARKS E1380 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks July 20, 2010 Madam Speaker, I would like to commend of those men who, no matter what he put his we got to talking (the usual ‘‘where are you State Representative Barbin for his advocacy mind to he became a star at it, whether it was from, where are your parents from’’ ques- on behalf of this important cause.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • No Justice for Journalists in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia September 2011
    No Justice for Journalists in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia September 2011 ARTICLE 19 Free Word Centre 60 Farringdon Road London EC1R 3GA United Kingdom Tel: +44 20 7324 2500 Fax: +44 20 7490 0566 E-mail: [email protected] www.article19.org International Media Support (IMS) Nørregarde 18, 2nd floor 1165 Copenhagen K Denmark Tel: +45 88 32 7000 Fax: +45 33 12 0099 E-mail: [email protected] www.i-m-s.dk ISBN: 978-1-906586-27-0 © ARTICLE 19 and International Media Support (IMS), London and Copenhagen, August 2011 This work is provided under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-ShareAlike 2.5 licence. You are free to copy, distribute and display this work and to make derivative works, provided you: 1) give credit to ARTICLE 19 and International Media Support (IMS); 2) do not use this work for commercial purposes; 3) distribute any works derived from this publication under a licence identical to this one. To access the full legal text of this licence, please visit: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ legalcode. ARTICLE 19 and International Media Support (IMS) would appreciate receiving a copy of any materials in which information from this report is used. This report was written and published within the framework of a project supported by the International Media Support (IMS) Media and Democracy Programme for Central and Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. It was compiled and written by Nathalie Losekoot, Senior Programme Officer for Europe at ARTICLE 19 and reviewed by JUDr. Barbora Bukovskà, Senior Director for Law at ARTICLE 19 and Jane Møller Larsen, Programme Coordinator for the Media and Democracy Unit at International Media Support (IMS).
    [Show full text]
  • Russian Federation State Actors of Protection
    European Asylum Support Office EASO Country of Origin Information Report Russian Federation State Actors of Protection March 2017 SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION European Asylum Support Office EASO Country of Origin Information Report Russian Federation State Actors of Protection March 2017 Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union. Free phone number (*): 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (*) Certain mobile telephone operators do not allow access to 00800 numbers or these calls may be billed. More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu). Print ISBN 978-92-9494-372-9 doi: 10.2847/502403 BZ-04-17-273-EN-C PDF ISBN 978-92-9494-373-6 doi: 10.2847/265043 BZ-04-17-273-EN-C © European Asylum Support Office 2017 Cover photo credit: JessAerons – Istockphoto.com Neither EASO nor any person acting on its behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained herein. EASO Country of Origin Report: Russian Federation – State Actors of Protection — 3 Acknowledgments EASO would like to acknowledge the following national COI units and asylum and migration departments as the co-authors of this report: Belgium, Cedoca (Center for Documentation and Research), Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons Poland, Country of Origin Information Unit, Department for Refugee Procedures, Office for Foreigners Sweden, Lifos, Centre for Country of Origin Information and Analysis, Swedish Migration Agency Norway, Landinfo, Country of
    [Show full text]
  • The Talon Volume 41, Issue 6 April 2015
    The Talon Volume 41, Issue 6 April 2015 Jenny Taula Makenzie Summers Student Spotlight Page 4 Bird's Eye View The Art of Ballet Page 2 Page 5 Us vs Them Spring Cleaning Page 6 Page 7 the 12 Russia historically has been a dangerous A bird’s-eye view place for those who oppose the govern- By: Meeleah Francisco, Peyton Murphy, and Taylor Tryon ment. Since 2002, there have been twelve high-profi le assassinations of Russian Democracy Advocate Killed major politicians and journalists. All had opposed the Russian president Vladamir On Febuary 27, 2015 veteran Russian politican Boris Nemtsov was shot and Putin on various policies and actions. 1 killed openly in the streets of Moscow, within view of the Kremlin (Russian Featured here are seven of the most captital building). This occured hours after organizing a peace march protest- controversial murders. ing Russian involvement in Ukraine. A staunch opponent of President Vladamir Valentin Tsvetkov - 2003 Putin, Mr. Nemtsov was in the process of putting together a report investigat- Governor of the eastern Russian province of Magadan Oblast, Tsvetkov was shot by a ing the extent of Russian military involvement in the Ukrainian civil war. Five sniper near the Kremlin. He had been crack- men have been arrested for the murder, with one admitting to the crime. ing down on corrutption in his district. However, Kremlin opposition groups and friends of Nemtsov are skeptical the Sergei Yushenkov - 2003 government’s handling of the arrests. They believe that the men apprehended Liberal politician who led the anti-Kremlin are scapegoats, or merely hitmen, and whoever ordered the crime is still free.
    [Show full text]
  • Russia's Looming Crisis
    FOREIGN POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE Russia’s Looming Crisis By David Satter Russia’s Looming Crisis By David Satter March 2012 About FPRI - - - Founded in 1955 by Ambassador Robert Strausz Hupé, FPRI is a non partisan,- non profit organization devoted to bringing the insights of scholarship to bear on the development of policies that advance U.S. national interests. In the tradition of Strausz Hupé, FPRI embraces history and geography to illuminate foreign policy challenges facing the United States. In 1990, FPRI established the Wachman Center to foster civic and international literacy in the community and in the classroom. FOREIGN POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE 19102-3684 Tel. 215-732- -732-4401 1528 Walnut Street, Suite 610 • Philadelphia, PA 3774 • Fax 215 Email [email protected] • Website: www.fpri.org Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1 1. The Political Situation ........................................................................................................ 3 The Control of the Election Process ............................................................................................ 4 The Economic Key to Putin’s Political Success ....................................................................... 5 A Political Charade ............................................................................................................................ 6 An Election Fraud .............................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Chechnya's Status Within the Russian
    SWP Research Paper Uwe Halbach Chechnya’s Status within the Russian Federation Ramzan Kadyrov’s Private State and Vladimir Putin’s Federal “Power Vertical” Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik German Institute for International and Security Affairs SWP Research Paper 2 May 2018 In the run-up to the Russian presidential elections on 18 March 2018, the Kremlin further tightened the federal “vertical of power” that Vladimir Putin has developed since 2000. In the North Caucasus, this above all concerns the republic of Dagestan. Moscow intervened with a powerful purge, replacing the entire political leadership. The situation in Chechnya, which has been ruled by Ramzan Kadyrov since 2007, is conspicuously different. From the early 2000s onwards, President Putin conducted a policy of “Chechenisation” there, delegating the fight against the armed revolt to local security forces. Under Putin’s protection, the republic gained a leadership which is now publicly referred to by Russians as the “Chechen Khanate”, among other similar expressions. Kadyrov’s breadth of power encompasses an independ- ent foreign policy, which is primarily orientated towards the Middle East. Kadyrov emphatically professes that his republic is part of Russia and presents himself as “Putin’s foot soldier”. Yet he has also transformed the federal subject of Chechnya into a private state. The ambiguous relationship between this republic and the central power fundamentally rests on the loyalty pact between Putin and Kadyrov. However, criticism of this arrange- ment can now occasionally be heard even in the Russian president’s inner circles. With regard to Putin’s fourth term, the question arises just how long the pact will last.
    [Show full text]
  • Two Years After the Murder of Natalia Estemirova: the Investigation Continues Along a False Path
    TWO YEARS AFTER THE MURDER OF NATALIA ESTEMIROVA: THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES ALONG A FALSE PATH Article 4: No one shall be held in slavery or servi- Article 1: All human beings are born free and tude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms. Article 5: No one shall be subjected to torture equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Article 6: Everyone has the right to recognition every- another in a spirit of brotherhood. Article 2: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this where as a person before the law. Article 7: All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimina- Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other tion to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination. Article 8: Everyone has the right to an effective rem- on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person edy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty. by law. Article 9: No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, Article 3: Everyone has the right to life, liber ty and security of person.
    [Show full text]
  • BASEES Sampler
    R O U T L E D G E . TAYLOR & FRANCIS Slavonic & East European Studies A Chapter and Journal Article Sampler www.routledge.com/carees3 Contents Art and Protest in Putin's Russia by Laurien 1 Crump Introduction Freedom of Speech in Russia edited by Piotr 21 Dutkiewicz, Sakwa Richard, Kulikov Vladimir Chapter 8: The Putin regime: patrimonial media The Capitalist Transformation of State 103 Socialism by David Lane Chapter 11: The move to capitalism and the alternatives Europe-Asia Studies 115 Identity in transformation: Russian speakers in Post- Soviet Ukrane by Volodymyr Kulyk Post-Soviet Affairs 138 The logic of competitive influence-seeking: Russia, Ukraine, and the conflict in Donbas by Tatyana Malyarenko and Stefan Wolff 20% Discount Available Enjoy a 20% discount across our entire portfolio of books. Simply add the discount code FGT07 at the checkout. Please note: This discount code cannot be combined with any other discount or offer and is only valid on print titles purchased directly from www.routledge.com. www.routledge.com/carees4 Copyright Taylor & Francis Group. Not for distribution. 1 Introduction It was freezing cold in Moscow on 24 December 2011 – the day of the largest mass protest in Russia since 1993. A crowd of about 100 000 people had gathered to protest against electoral fraud in the Russian parliamentary elections, which had taken place nearly three weeks before. As more and more people joined the demonstration, their euphoria grew to fever pitch. Although the 24 December demonstration changed Russia, the period of euphoria was tolerated only until Vladimir Putin was once again installed as president in May 2012.
    [Show full text]
  • Pdf | 129.39 Kb
    Memorial Human Rights Center 127051 Russia, Moscow, Malyj Karetnyj per. 12 tel. (495) 225-31-18 Web-site: http://www.memo.ru/ Report for the next round of consultations on Human Rights European Union – Russia The situation in the conflict zone of the North Caucasus June 2009 – October 2009 Moscow 2009 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..…..1 Activization of armed underground………………………………………………….……2 The reaction of the governmental authorities………………………………….…………3 Human Rights activists under attack…………………………………………….………..3 Ingushetia………………………………………………………………………….…….…..5 Dagestan…………………………………………………………………………….……….7 Chechnya……………………………………………………………………….……………8 Decisions of the European Court of Human Rights……………………………………..10 Recommendations…………………………………………………………………………11 Introduction The North Caucasus remains one of Russia's least prosperous regions in the field of human rights. Although the situation in various republics and regions of the North Caucasus differs remarkably, some general factors, spread over a large territory of the North Caucasus adversely influence the development of the situation. These are: − the ongoing fighting. Right now armed underground forces, using terroristic methods, oppose the Russian state on the North Caucasus. The power structures, in turn, implement a politics of state terror; − the impunity for mass crimes, committed by state representatives during a "counterterrorist operation". This way, the fate of the absolute majority of thousands of people, that have forcibly "vanished" on the territory of Chechnya since 2000, has not been established. The database of the HRC "Memorial" contains more than three thousand cases on those kind of forced "disappearances", and no one has so far been punished for these crimes; − the corruption, whose level is high even against the background of the rest of Russia; − the arbitrariness of the officials; − a high unemployment rate; – the conflict between the supporters of the "traditional" Islam for the North Caucasus and the relatively new, fundamental Salafism movement of Islam.
    [Show full text]
  • Extending Russia Competing from Advantageous Ground
    Extending Russia Competing from Advantageous Ground James Dobbins, Raphael S. Cohen, Nathan Chandler, Bryan Frederick, Edward Geist, Paul DeLuca, Forrest E. Morgan, Howard J. Shatz, Brent Williams C O R P O R A T I O N For more information on this publication, visit www.rand.org/t/RR3063 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available for this publication. ISBN: 978-1-9774-0021-5 Published by the RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, Calif. © Copyright 2019 RAND Corporation R® is a registered trademark. Cover: Pete Soriano/Adobe Stock Limited Print and Electronic Distribution Rights This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited. Permission is given to duplicate this document for personal use only, as long as it is unaltered and complete. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions. The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest. RAND’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors. Support RAND Make a tax-deductible charitable contribution at www.rand.org/giving/contribute www.rand.org Preface This report documents research and analysis conducted as part of the RAND Corporation research project Extending Russia: Competing from Advantageous Ground, sponsored by the Army Quadrennial Defense Review Office, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff G-8, Headquarters, Department of the Army.
    [Show full text]
  • Third Section
    Communicated on 7 January 2016 THIRD SECTION Application no. 48557/10 Oleg Petrovich ORLOV and HUMAN RIGHTS CENTRE MEMORIAL against Russia lodged on 21 July 2010 STATEMENT OF FACTS The first applicant, Mr Oleg Petrovich Orlov, is a Russian national who was born in 1953 and lives in Moscow. The second applicant is the Memorial Human Rights Centre, a non-governmental organisation registered in Russia. They are represented before the Court by Mr B. Bowring, Ms T. Chernikova, Ms N. Ermolaeva, Ms J. Evans, Mr K. Koroteev, Mr P. Leach, Ms A. Razhikova, Ms A. Sobko and Mr F. Tishayev, lawyers practising in London and Moscow. A. The circumstances of the case 1. Background to the case (a) General information The first applicant is a well-known human rights activist and the chairman of the board of the second applicant. The second applicant’s activities include monitoring and protection of human rights. It is focused on, among other things, the protection of human rights in the North Caucasus area of Russia, in particular in the Chechen Republic. The second applicant had several representatives in the North Caucasus, including its chief officer, Ms Natalia Estemirova, who worked in the Chechen Republic. According to the applicants, she had been gathering evidence and regularly reporting on human rights violations since the beginning of the armed conflict there. At the international level, Ms Estemirova was awarded several prizes for her activities in the protection of human rights. At the domestic level, according to the applicants, the Chechen authorities, in particular the President of the Chechen Republic, Mr R.
    [Show full text]
  • Stability in Russia's Chechnya and Other Regions of the North Caucasus: Recent Developments
    Stability in Russia’s Chechnya and Other Regions of the North Caucasus: Recent Developments Jim Nichol Specialist in Russian and Eurasian Affairs December 13, 2010 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL34613 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Stability in Russia’s Chechnya and Other Regions of the North Caucasus Summary Terrorist attacks in Russia’s North Caucasus—a border area between the Black and Caspian Seas that includes the formerly breakaway Chechnya and other ethnic-based regions—appeared to increase substantially in 2007-2009. Moreover, civilian and government casualties reached levels not seen in several years and terrorist attacks again took place outside the North Caucasus. Although the number of terrorist incidents may have leveled off or even declined slightly in 2010 from the high levels of 2009, the rate of civilian and government casualties continued to increase throughout the North Caucasus in 2010 and a rising number of terrorist incidents took place outside of Chechnya. Illustrative of the new range and scope of violence, the Moscow subway system was bombed in March 2010, resulting in over 40 deaths and dozens of injuries. Before the recent rise in terrorism, it seemed that government security forces had been successful in tamping down their range and scope by aggressively carrying out over a thousand sweep operations (“zachistki”) in the North Caucasus. During these operations, security forces surround a village and search the homes of the residents, ostensibly in a bid to apprehend terrorists. Critics of the operations allege that the searches are illegal and that troops frequently engage in pillaging and gratuitous violence and are responsible for kidnapping for ransom and “disappearances” of civilians.
    [Show full text]
  • Statement on Murder of Ingushetian Opposition/Human Rights Activist, Maksharip Aushev
    United States Mission to the OSCE Statement on Murder of Ingushetian Opposition/Human Rights Activist, Maksharip Aushev As delivered by Chargé d’Affaires Carol Fuller to the Permanent Council, Vienna October 29, 2009 The United States was shocked and profoundly saddened by the brutal murder of Ingushetian opposition and member of a government human rights council Maksharip Aushev, who was killed and whose companion was wounded when they were shot with automatic weapons fire from a passing vehicle in the neighboring republic of Kabardino-Balkaria October 25. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family. This murder comes just more than a year after Mr. Aushev’s friend and colleague, reporter Majomed Yevloyev, was killed while in police custody in Ingushetia and is the latest in an escalation of violence and intimidation directed at human rights and opposition activists and others in Russia. Mr. Aushev is at least the fourth human rights figure killed in the North Caucasus within the last four months. In July, Natalya Estemirova, who documented abductions and killings in Chechnya, was forced into a car and found dead on the roadside hours later. In August, Zarema Sadulayeva, and her husband, who together ran a children’s charity, were found dead in the truck of their car after being seized in her office. Also in August, journalist Abdulmalik Akhmedilov, a journalist at the Dagestani publication Khakikat, “The Truth” was killed in his car. We urge the Russian government to conduct immediate, thorough, and transparent investigations in order to find, prosecute, and bring to justice all those responsible for these heinous murders.
    [Show full text]