Authorities fail to move refugees from TS in the Chechen capital

Yesterday, June 6, the Staropromyslovski district administration in the Chechen capital tried to move internally displaced persons (IDP) from the temporary shelter (TS) in Derzhavin Street of Grozny. This has been reported to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Svetlana Gannushkina, member of Council on Human Rights under the RF President, chairperson of the "Civil Assistance" committee on assisting refugees.

Yesterday morning residents of the TS phoned Gannushkina to inform her that buses had been brought to the building in order to transport their families and property. According to the human rights activist, the callers were extremely agitated, again complained of the roughness of the district administration representatives. They reconfirmed their intention to march to Ingushetia and apply for shelter to Murat Ziazikov, the republic's president.

An attempt of S. Gannushkina to phone Khozhbaudi Estamirov, head of Staropromyslovski district administration, failed: "the phone was left to his employee who claimed that the chief was at the TS and was arranging its vacation." Then she sent a fax to Alu Alkhanov, President of the Chechen Republic (ChR).

..."During the meeting on May 25, 2006 you assured us that no forced mass relocation of residents from the TS was planned... This absurd situation has arisen due to a forced replacement of the TS warden, bypassing the DFMS, appointed by some other agencies, poorly arranged resettlement and its vaguely formulated goal. Additionally, the people have been divided into "local" - from Staropromyslovski district, and "aliens" - from other districts, which is inadmissible with regard to IDPs for whom, in conformance with international law, the responsibility lies with the state as a whole. IDPs may only be moved from temporary to permanent dwelling, avoiding transformation of suffering people into wandering tramps. Esteemed Alu Dadashevich, knowing your unfailing good will and preparedness for reaching consensus, I hope that you will settle the conflict between the administration and citizens in a way which avoids injuring people, damaging their human dignity and deteriorating their living conditions," runs the letter.

In the afternoon of June 6, the buses were removed from the TS in Derzhavin Street and the forced migrants were assured that by June 13 they would be given an opportunity to solve their dwelling problem permanently.

The day before, on June 5, representatives of the Staropromyslovski district administration who visited the TS, tried to withdraw their water tank, while Kh. Estamirov, head of the district, threatened them with militia. The district authorities assert that the camp for refugees must be disbanded, because the building should be used as a kindergarten, i.e. according to its specified purpose. The residents would be allocated place for living in other TSs of the town.

"The residents claim that they will be moved to inferior conditions as compared to the existing ones. The authorities want them to sign applications for resettlement, not having seen the new dwellings. Those who resided in Staropromyslovski district previously have been promised to be allocated flats but no concrete addresses were mentioned. The flats were to be allocated to disabled persons, labour veterans and other individuals entitled to privileges. There was also a promise to allocate land plots, construction materials, etc. However, the refugees who know the value of such promises, do not particularly believe them. There are people who applied for land plots two or three years ago, but no one has received them so far. They have also promised to promptly pay compensation for the lost dwelling, but nobody believes it either. Those who have not resided in the district are not promised anything on the ground that the administration of the districts of their origin must deal with them," said Natalia Estemirova, employee of the "Memorial" human rights centre (HRC) in Grozny.

Human rights activists note that on May 16 the "Memorial" HRC and "Civil Assistance" committee received a complaint from 46 heads of families residing in the TS in Derzhavin Street in Grozny. The complaint runs that a warden (head of the TS administration) has been imposed on them, although the majority of residents voted against him. The address also notes that the TS has been more than once visited by armed officers from the local power authorities. They threatened people who protested against the appointment of the warden by force.

"When the IDPs applied to the Department of the Federal Migration Service (DFMS) of the RF MIA in Chechnya for resolving the issue, they understood that this agency is simply unable to change anything. They were advised to apply to human rights and international organizations," relate the "Memorial" centre employees.

"After it was announced that all wardens at temporary shelters for refugees would be replaced, residents of the TS at 289, Derzhavin Street, submitting to the fact that Liudmila Latyrova who had been impeccably performing her duty would resign, elected Khamzatova as their warden. However, the head of Staropromyslovski district administration appointed Dagman Almaeva. Residents think that this appointment has been to a great degree influenced by the fact that her brother until recently has been commander of an ATC (anti-terrorism centre) unit," runs the "Memorial" statement.

"Asu Dudarkaev, head of the Chechnya DFMS has declined the appointment of Almaeva. However, Almaeva announced to all TS administration employees that they were dismissed and appointed her own staff. The residents got indignant and started to apply to various instances, including A. Alaudinov, chief of Department on Combating Organized Crime (DCOC). The latter came to the TS, talked with residents, Almaeva and her relatives. Having got a clear idea of the situation, Alaudinov phoned to Alu Dudarkaev and the latter ordered to appoint Khamzaeva. But Dagman Almaeva locked the door of the warden's office and flatly refused to give it away, " reports the "Memorial" HRC.

"On May 30 at 10 p.m. armed people stormed into the TS in Derzhavin Street. They introduced themselves as officers of the territorial militia unit (ТМU) of Staropromyslovski district. They started threatening Khamzatova, the newly appointed TS warden, and the residents with physical violence for refusing to recognize the power of Almaeva. This illegal action was managed by a certain Bislan, known to the residents under the nickname of "Chekist." The residents reported the incident to the MIA alert unit, and a team of militiamen came to the TS. After negotiations with residents and Bislan, it was decided to meet in the Chechen DFMS building next morning. The next morning the DFMS head and TS residents waited for the chief of the unit for a long time, but in vain," described the situation the "Memorial" employees.

"On June 1, the temporary refugee shelter was visited by Vakha Saitov, head of the administrative district on the territory of which the TS is located. He announced to the residents that their TS was to be disbanded within three days, and they were going to be distributed among other TSs where places for them had already been prepared. However, Saitov failed to show a list of the prepared places. The residents got indignant and declared that they would leave the TS only upon getting permanent dwelling or compensation for the houses destroyed in the course of combat actions. Other officials followed Vakhi Saitov. In the long run, Asu Dudarkaev calmed down the residents by announcing that the camp was not going to be disbanded. Still, the residents remained troubled. Children were frightened by the night visit of militiamen, nobody was sure that illegal measures would not be undertaken against them," human rights activists write.

For reference, in the second half of April, Ramzan Kadyrov, head of the Chechen Republic government, subjected the places of compact residence of forced migrants to violent critics. Having called the TSs for refugees "nests of criminality, drug abuse and prostitution," he demanded that the local authorities and law-enforcement agencies should ensure order there. Following that, a special commission was created in Chechnya for monitoring the abidance by the norms and rules of residence in temporary shelters for forced migrants.