February 2002 Vol. 14, No. 2 (D) RUSSIA/CHECHNYA SWEPT UNDER: TORTURE, FORCED DISAPPEARANCES, AND EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS DURING SWEEP OPERATIONS IN CHECHNYA EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................................................................................3 BACKGROUND............................................................................................................................................4 LATE 2000 AND EARLY 2001......................................................................................................................5 Clashes and Attacks ....................................................................................................................................5 The Announced Withdrawal of Troops .........................................................................................................7 THE RETURN OF THE CHECHEN GOVERNMENT TO GROZNY ..............................................................9 THE RETURN OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDPS)................................................................9 Encouraging IDPs to return .......................................................................................................................10 Food Ration Insecurity...........................................................................................................................11 Registration of new IDPs.......................................................................................................................11 Actual Return of IDPs...............................................................................................................................12 THE ALKHAN-KALA SWEEP (JUNE 19-25, 2001) .....................................................................................13 Chronology ..............................................................................................................................................14 June 19, 2001 ........................................................................................................................................14 June 20 .................................................................................................................................................15 June 21 .................................................................................................................................................15 June 22 .................................................................................................................................................16 June 23 .................................................................................................................................................17 June 24 .................................................................................................................................................18 June 25 .................................................................................................................................................18 EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTIONS...........................................................................................................18 Detention and Extrajudicial Execution of Rustam Razhepov and Daud Vitaev..............................................18 The Detention and Execution of Ruslan Davletukaev, Elman Bazaev and Musa Amirov................................19 The Torture and Extrajudicial Execution of Bislan Khasaev.........................................................................20 Other Bodies Found in Makeshift Graves ...................................................................................................21 Torture and Other Ill-Treatment.................................................................................................................21 The Torture of Umar Chadaev................................................................................................................22 The Torture of “Arsen Musaev” .............................................................................................................23 The Torture of “Suleiman Zubaev” .........................................................................................................23 The Torture of “Musa Muradov” ............................................................................................................25 THE SERNOVODSK SWEEP (JULY 2 AND 3, 2001) ..................................................................................26 Chronology ..............................................................................................................................................26 July 2, 2001 ..........................................................................................................................................26 July 3....................................................................................................................................................28 Torture and Other Ill-Treatment.................................................................................................................28 The Torture of Bisultan and Muslim Barkhaev........................................................................................28 The Torture of “Magomed Arsanukaev” .................................................................................................29 The Torture of “Aslambek Azuev” .........................................................................................................30 The Torture of “Anzor Ulaev”................................................................................................................30 “Disappearances”......................................................................................................................................31 Extortion ..................................................................................................................................................32 Pillage ......................................................................................................................................................32 THE ASSINOVSKAIA SWEEP (JULY 3 AND 4, 2001) ................................................................................33 Chronology ..............................................................................................................................................33 July 3, 2001 ..........................................................................................................................................33 July 4....................................................................................................................................................34 Torture and Other Ill-Treatment.................................................................................................................34 Torture of “Salambek Sulumov”.............................................................................................................35 The Ill-treatment of Ilies Iliasov .............................................................................................................35 The Torture of Khamzat Sadaev.............................................................................................................36 The Ill-treatment of Adam Estamirov......................................................................................................36 The Ill-treatment of Vakha Davletukaev..................................................................................................37 Extortion ..................................................................................................................................................37 Pillage ......................................................................................................................................................38 OTHER JUNE AND JULY SWEEP OPERATIONS......................................................................................40 Mairtup (June 9, 2001) ..............................................................................................................................40 Tsotsin-Yurt (June 15, 2001) .....................................................................................................................40 Kurchaloi (June 16, 2001) .........................................................................................................................40 Chernoreche (June 28 and 29, 2001) ..........................................................................................................41 THE OUTCRY AND OFFICIAL RESPONSES.............................................................................................42 Investigations ...........................................................................................................................................44 Sernovodsk and Assinovskaia ................................................................................................................44 The Other Sweeps .................................................................................................................................45 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................................46 To the government of the Russian Federation: ............................................................................................46 To the International Community: