The security for defenders in Chechnya has deteriorated in 2003 and 2004, according to a new report from the International Helsinki Federation that was presented by Aage Borchgrevink at the HRH Anniversary Conference 13 October.

Aage_400px.jpgLecturer: Mr Aage Borchgrevink, Advisor, the Norwegian
Helsinki Committee, HRH Oslo. Case: the Chechen Republic.

Speech held at the Human Rights House Network Anniversary Conference Activists under Attack. Defending the Right to be a Human Rights Defender, 14 October 2004, Oslo

Summary of IHF Report: Silencing of Human Rights Defenders in the Chechen Republic and Ingushetia

Human rights defenders in the Chechen Republic and Ingushetia have been under a constant threat for many years.

There were a number of high profile abduction cases and killings involving humanitarian workers and journalists in the inter-war period — that is, from the fall of 1996 to the fall of 1999. However, persecution of human rights defenders appears to have intensified with the start of the second Chechen war in the fall of 1999. During the second war local activists have become the main targets.

Reports of harassment of human rights defenders appeared early in the war: for instance, the detention and abduction of Radio Liberty Correspondent Andrey Babitsky in January and February 2000. Since then, reports of persecution of defenders have appeared monthly or even weekly.

The cases collected here do not represent the totality of cases of abuse against human rights defenders connected with the crisis in the Chechen Republic. But the material does provide an overview of the forms and extent of persecution of human rights defenders working with the crisis in the Chechen Republic up until the present. Among the cases are 13 killings of human rights defenders, 6 enforced disappearances, 4
abductions, 19 instances of torture/beatings, 19 illegal detentions and 69 counts of harassment or threats.

A few cases of attacks and harassment of defenders involved with the crisis in the Chechen Republic have been reported in Moscow and in Nizhny Novgorod, but the overwhelming majority of the incidents have occurred in the conflict zone of Northern Caucasus, especially in the Chechen Republic and, increasingly, in the neighboring republic of Ingushetia. Some of the victims were foreigners or individuals from other parts of the Russian Federation, but most of the victims are local.

However, in July and August 2004 two cases of anonymous threats were reported against ECtHR applicants and witnesses residing as refugees in Norway. As a result, both involved families received assistance from the Norwegian police.
In some cases the perpetrators are unidentified, while in other cases (in 6 out of 141 counts of abuse listed in the table presented at the end of this report) Chechen criminal or insurgent groups are believed to be behind attacks. However, in the majority of the cases (108 out of 141 counts of abuse listed in the table) local or federal authorities are believed to be involved.

The report clearly indicates that security for defenders has deteriorated in 2003 and 2004. While 67 counts of abuse against defenders were reported in a period of more than three years from the start of the war to 2002, 74 counts of abuse are listed for 2003 and 2004 up to and including July (a total of 19 months). An important factor in explaining this increase are the many incidents reported over the last year and a half concerning persecution of applicants to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

In some cases, persecution appears to have had an intimidating effect: Applicants to the ECtHR have withdrawn their applications, and IDP representatives in Ingushetia have been coerced into returning to the Chechen Republic. The deterioration of the security situation appears to be linked to several developments.

One factor is the consolidation of a powerful and brutal local government in the Chechen Republic (formerly led by the late President Akhmat Kadyrov), which is determined to root out opposition and dissent.

Another factor is that after the election of Murat Zyazikov as President in April 2002 the human rights situation in Ingushetia, which previously was a relatively safe haven for defenders, more and more resembles the one in the Chechen Republic. Above all, this seems to be the work of a federal political decision that aims to intimidate or eliminate dissent and close the Chechen Republic to outside scrutiny.

The material collected here underlines that the Russian government is in breach of its obligations under Article 12.2 of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, which holds that:

The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration.

Not only have Russian authorities failed to “take all necessary measures to ensure the protection” of human rights defenders, but evidence indicates that state officials themselves are often the perpetrators.

Even though the cases described in this report do not offer the whole picture of persecution of defenders, analysis of the collected material overwhelmingly supports a number of grave conclusions:

•Human rights defenders have been targeted since the start of the second war in
the Chechen Republic.

•Human rights defenders are increasingly at risk: There has been a steep rise in incidents of persecution of defenders in 2003 and 2004.

•State agents are responsible for most of the attacks on human rights defenders.

•No effective measures have been taken by the Russian authorities in order to protect defenders in the conflict zone of the Chechen Republic and Ingushetia.

•The international community has failed to adequately address the Russian Federation about persecution of human rights defenders.