Russian Federation: Monitoring of IDPs and returnees still needed A profile of the internal displacement situation 12 October, 2009 This Internal Displacement Profile is automatically generated from the online IDP database of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). It includes an overview of the internal displacement situation in the country prepared by the IDMC, followed by a compilation of excerpts from relevant reports by a variety of different sources. All headlines as well as the bullet point summaries at the beginning of each chapter were added by the IDMC to facilitate navigation through the Profile. Where dates in brackets are added to headlines, they indicate the publication date of the most recent source used in the respective chapter. The views expressed in the reports compiled in this Profile are not necessarily shared by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. The Profile is also available online at www.internal-displacement.org. About the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, established in 1998 by the Norwegian Refugee Council, is the leading international body monitoring conflict-induced internal displacement worldwide. Through its work, the Centre contributes to improving national and international capacities to protect and assist the millions of people around the globe who have been displaced within their own country as a result of conflicts or human rights violations. At the request of the United Nations, the Geneva-based Centre runs an online database providing comprehensive information and analysis on internal displacement in some 50 countries. Based on its monitoring and data collection activities, the Centre advocates for durable solutions to the plight of the internally displaced in line with international standards. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre also carries out training activities to enhance the capacity of local actors to respond to the needs of internally displaced people. In its work, the Centre cooperates with and provides support to local and national civil society initiatives. For more information, visit the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre website and the database at www.internal-displacement.org. Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre Norwegian Refugee Council Chemin de Balexert 7-9 1219 Geneva, Switzerland Tel.: +41 22 799 07 00 [email protected] www.internal-displacement.org 2 CONTENTS CONTENTS ...................................................................................................................... 3 OVERVIEW.......................................................................................................................9 RUSSIAN FEDERATION: MONITORING OF IDPS AND RETURNEES STIL NEEDED ....................... 9 РЕЗЮМЕ ПРОФИЛЯ НА РУССКОМ ЯЗЫКЕ.............................................................. 15 РОССИЯ: УСИЛИЯ ПРАВИТЕЛЬСТВА ПОМОГУТ ТОЛЬКО НЕКОТОРЫМ ВПЛ ВОССТАНОВИТЬ СВОЮ ЖИЗНЬ ................................................................................................................... 15 РОССИЙСКАЯ ФЕДЕРАЦИЯ: ПО-ПРЕЖНЕМУ НЕОБХОДИМ МОНИТОРИНГ ВПЛ И ЛИЦ, ВОЗВРАЩАЮЩИХСЯ В МЕСТО ПРОИСХОЖДЕНИЯ............................................................... 16 CAUSES AND BACKGROUND ..................................................................................... 26 THE CONFLICTS IN CHECHNYA........................................................................................... 26 DISPLACEMENT FROM CHECHNYA TO AREAS OUTSIDE OF NORTH CAUCASUS (SPECIAL REPORT, 2008)................................................................................................................. 26 BACKGROUND TO THE FIRST CONFLICT IN CHECHNYA......................................................... 27 BACKGROUND TO THE SECOND CONFLICT IN CHECHNYA..................................................... 29 PROSPECTS FOR PEACE (2009)......................................................................................... 30 THE CONFLICT IN NORTH OSSETIA .................................................................................... 32 BACKGROUND TO THE CONFLICT IN NORTH OSSETIA .......................................................... 32 PROSPECTS FOR RESOLUTION OF THE CONFLICT OVER PRIGORODNY DISTRICT (2007) ....... 34 OTHER CAUSES OF DISPLACEMENT IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION ...................................... 36 EARTHQUAKE IN CHECHNYA (2008)................................................................................... 36 VIOLENCE AGAINST CHECHENS OUTSIDE OF NORTH CAUCASUS (2009).............................. 36 DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT OF THE REMAINING MESKHETIAN TURKS (2009) ........................ 37 EVICTION OF ROMA FROM THEIR HOUSES AND LAND (2009)................................................ 38 POPULATION FIGURES AND PROFILE ...................................................................... 40 GLOBAL FIGURES ............................................................................................................. 40 AT LEAST 82,150 IDPS IN RUSSIA (2009) .......................................................................... 40 POPULATION FIGURES: DISPLACEMENT AS A RESULT OF CONFLICT IN CHECHNYA............... 41 OVER 50,000 STILL DISPLACED WITHIN CHECHNYA (2009) ................................................. 41 ABOUT 9,000 INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE FROM CHECHNYA IN INGUSHETIA (2009)...... 41 DISAGGREGATED DATA: DAGESTAN (2009)........................................................................ 42 DISAGGREGATED DATA: INGUSHETIA (2009) ...................................................................... 42 IDPS FROM CHECHNYA LIVING OUTSIDE OF CHECHNYA (2009)........................................... 43 3 TOTAL NUMBER OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED FROM THE CONFLICTS IN CHECHNYA (2009)..... 44 POPULATION FIGURES: DISPLACEMENT AS A RESULT OF THE CONFLICT IN NORTH OSSETIA 45 MORE THAN 4,000 PEOPLE REMAIN DISPLACED FROM NORTH OSSETIA (2009) ................... 45 PATTERNS OF DISPLACEMENT ................................................................................. 47 GENERAL ......................................................................................................................... 47 IDPS FROM CHECHNYA AND INGUSHETIA MAINLY FLED TO INGUSHETIA (2008).................... 47 MOUNTAINOUS VILLAGERS FORCED TO SEEK SAFETY ON PLAINS (2007).............................. 48 ETHNIC INGUSH DISPLACED MULTIPLE TIMES (2009)........................................................... 50 PHYSICAL SECURITY & FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT ................................................ 51 PHYSICAL SAFETY IN CHECHNYA....................................................................................... 51 VIOLENCE ESCALATES IN CHECHNYA AND BEYOND (2009).................................................. 51 NUMBER OF REBELS AND GOVERNMENT FORCES (2009) .................................................... 54 "KADYROVTSY" ALLEGEDLY RESPONSIBLE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES (2009) ................... 55 ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES IN CHECHNYA INCREASING SINCE 2008 (2009)..................... 58 UNACKNOWLEDGED DETENTION, TORTURE AND EXECUTIONS CONTINUE IN CHECHNYA (2009) ........................................................................................................................................ 61 WOMEN AND CHILDREN SUFFER VIOLENCE AND ABUSE (2008)............................................ 63 FAMILY MEMBERS OF REBELS AND THE DISAPPEARED AT RISK OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES (2009).............................................................................................................................. 66 LANDMINES STILL CONTAMINATING CHECHNYA (2009) ....................................................... 68 REPRISALS AGAINST APPLICANTS AND THEIR LAWYERS TO THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS (2009) ................................................................................................................. 69 SIGNIFICANT RECONSTRUCTION IN CHECHNYA (2009)........................................................ 70 PUNITIVE HOUSE-BURNINGS (2009)................................................................................... 73 PHYSICAL SAFETY IN OTHER AREAS OF NORTH CAUCASUS ................................................ 74 INSECURITY RISES THROUGHOUT NORTH CAUCASUS (2009) .............................................. 74 PROFILE OF ILLEGAL ARMED GROUPS (2008) ..................................................................... 78 SECURITY SITUATION IN INGUSHETIA (2009) ...................................................................... 80 SECURITY SITUATION IN DAGESTAN (2009)........................................................................ 84 SECURITY SITUATION IN KABARDINO-BALKARIA (2009)....................................................... 87 GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO INSECURITY (2009)............................................................... 88 RULE OF LAW ................................................................................................................... 90 RULE OF LAW IN CHECHNYA AND RUSSIA (2009)................................................................ 91 CONTINUED IMPUNITY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN NORTH CAUCASUS (2009)................ 95 IMPLEMENTATION OF EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS' JUDGMENTS (2009) ............... 98 IDPS CAN ACCESS FREE LEGAL ASSISTANCE (2009)......................................................... 100 DISCRIMINATION ............................................................................................................