1/2015 ENG Security and human rights in Chechnya and the situation of Chechens in the Russian Federation – residence registration, racism and false accusations Report from the Danish Immigration Service’s fact finding mission to Moscow, Grozny and Volgograd, the Russian Federation From 23 April to 13 May 2014 and Paris, France 3 June 2014 Copenhagen, January 2015 Danish Immigration Service Ryesgade 53 2100 Copenhagen Ø Phone: 00 45 35 36 66 00 Web: www.newtodenmark.dk E-mail: [email protected] 1/2015 ENG Overview of Danish fact finding reports published in 2013 and 2014 Update on security and human rights issues in South‐ and Central Somalia, including Mogadishu, Joint report from the Danish Immigration Service’s and the Norwegian Landinfo’s fact finding mission to Nairobi, Kenya and Mogadishu, Somalia, 17 to 28 October 2012 Iran ‐ On Conversion to Christianity, Issues concerning Kurds and Post‐2009 Election Protestors as well as Legal Issues and Exit Procedures, Joint report from the Danish Immigration Service, the Norwegian LANDINFO and Danish Refugee Council’s fact‐finding mission to Tehran, Iran, Ankara, Turkey and London, United Kingdom, 9 November to 20 November 2012 and 8 January to 9 January 2013 Somalia ‐ Security and protection in Mogadishu and South‐Central Somalia Joint report from the Danish Immigration Service’s and the Norwegian Landinfo’s fact finding mission to Nairobi, Kenya and Mogadishu, Somalia 6 April to 7 May 2013 Iranian Kurds; On Conditions for Iranian Kurdish Parties in Iran and KRI, Activities in the Kurdish Area of Iran, Conditions in Border Area and Situation of Returnees from KRI to Iran, Joint report from the Danish Immigration Service’s and Danish Refugee Council’s fact finding mission to Erbil and Sulaimania, KRI, 30 May to 9 June 2013 Uganda ‐ Situation of LGBT persons in Uganda. Joint report from the Danish Immigration Service’s and the Danish Refugee Council’s fact finding mission to Kampala, Uganda from 16 to 25 June 2013 Update on security and protection issues in Mogadishu and South‐Central Somalia, Including information on the judiciary, issuance of documents, money transfers, marriage procedures and medical treatment, Joint report from the Danish Immigration Service’s and the Norwegian Landinfo’s fact finding mission to Nairobi, Kenya and Mogadishu, Somalia, 1 to 15 November 2013 Update on the Situation for Christian Converts in Iran, report from the Danish Immigration Service’s fact‐finding mission to Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey and London, United Kingdom 25 March to 2 April 2014 and 10 April to 11 April 2014 Eritrea – Drivers and Root Causes of Emigration, National Service and the Possibility of Return, Appendix edition, Country of Origin Information for Use in the Asylum Determination Process. Report from the Danish Immigration Service’s fact finding missions to Ethiopia and Eritrea, August and October 2014 Security and human rights in Chechnya Table of contents Abbreviations .......................................................................................................................................... 3 Introduction and methodology ................................................................................................................. 4 Purpose ............................................................................................................................................................ 4 Background ...................................................................................................................................................... 4 Methodology .................................................................................................................................................... 5 Recent developments ...................................................................................................................................... 7 Disclaimer ......................................................................................................................................................... 7 1. General security and human rights situation in Chechnya ...................................................................... 9 1.1 Rule of law and avenues to seek redress ................................................................................................. 12 1.1.1 Cases illustrative of the human rights and rule of law situation in Chechnya ................................. 16 1.2 European Court of Human Rigths (ECHR) cases concerning ill-treatment, torture and disappearances 19 1.3 Chechens leaving the republic ................................................................................................................. 20 2. Illegal armed groups – size, structure and leadership, recruitment, supporters .....................................23 2.1 Size ........................................................................................................................................................... 23 2.2 Leadership and structure ......................................................................................................................... 24 2.3 Activities ................................................................................................................................................... 25 2.4 Contact with local population .................................................................................................................. 27 2.5 Recruitment .............................................................................................................................................. 30 2.6 Financial support ...................................................................................................................................... 30 2.7 Links to international Jihad ...................................................................................................................... 30 3. Investigation and prosecution of members of the illegal armed groups .................................................31 3.1 Police units involved in investigation of illegal armed groups ................................................................. 32 3.2 Campaign against salafism ....................................................................................................................... 32 4. Situation of supporters of the illegal armed groups ..............................................................................34 4.1 The scale of court cases involving support to the insurgents .................................................................. 34 4.2 Fabricated criminal cases, forced confessions, detention and ill-treatment ........................................... 35 4.2.1 Typical false or fabricated charges ................................................................................................... 42 4.2.2 Treatment of alleged supporters and their relatives ........................................................................ 43 4.2.3 Jury trials ........................................................................................................................................... 44 4.3 Sentences ................................................................................................................................................. 45 4.3.1 Location for serving a prison sentence ............................................................................................. 46 4.4 Orders to appear for questioning/police summons (повестка) .............................................................. 46 4.4.1 Forged orders to appear ................................................................................................................... 48 4.5 Duty to report........................................................................................................................................... 49 4.6 Recruitment of informants ....................................................................................................................... 50 4.7 Reprisals against informants by the illegal armed groups ....................................................................... 51 1 Security and human rights in Chechnya 4.8 Family members to active members of the illegal armed groups and family members to supporters of the illegal armed groups ................................................................................................................................ 51 5. Arrests and prosecution of participants in the first and second war in Chechnya...............................54 6. Physical examination for bruises, scars or signs of torture ....................................................................55 7. Freedom of movement in Chechnya – check points/road blocks, internal borders .................................56 9. Russian language in Chechnya .............................................................................................................58 9.1 Police and court language ........................................................................................................................ 59 10. Social and economic situation in Chechnya.........................................................................................60 10.1 Employment ........................................................................................................................................... 60 10.1.1 Unemployment benefits ................................................................................................................