23:28, 29 December 2020

Rights defenders concerned over deterioration of human rights situation in Chechnya

A law enforcer during a protest action. Grozny. Photo: REUTERS/Eduard Korniyenko

The killings of Ramzan Kadyrov's critics abroad, the attack on journalist Elena Milashina and advocate Marina Dubrovina in Grozny, and the public torture of Salman Tepsurkaev have become prime examples of the Chechen law enforcers' impunity, human rights defenders state.

On its website, the international Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" posted a rating of the main events in Chechnya over the year of 2020. The events testify to the deterioration of the situation with the rights of women, the intensification of the fight against dissent and alternative opinion, as well as the increased danger for the activities of human rights defenders, analysts note.

Madina Umaeva died in Gudermes on June 12. Relatives and friends of the deceased women said that quarrels often occurred between her and her husband. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov stated there was no evidence that the husband had been guilty of his wife's murder.

The Chechen authorities have supported the husband of Madina Umaeva, said Svetlana Gannushkina, the chair of the "Civic Assistance Committee".

The incident with Salman Tepsurkaev is a blatant case "staying beyond any civilized society," blogger Tumso Abdurakhmanov suggests. According to him, such situations "break the mentality of the Chechen people."

The video with Salman Tepsurkaev shocked the whole world, says Dmitry Piskunov, the chief of the North-Caucasian branch of the "Committee against Torture" (CaT).

During the year, in Europe, two critics of Ramzan Kadyrov were killed, while one more survived an attempt on his life. On January 30, Imran Aliev, who posted on the Internet the videos criticizing the leader of Chechnya, was found dead in France. On February 26, blogger Tumso Abdurakhmanov was attacked by an unidentified man with a hammer. On July 4, blogger Mamikhan Umarov (also known as Anzor from Vienna), who posted insulting remarks about Ramzan Kadyrov, was killed.

The Chechen authorities are increasing their control over the Chechen Diaspora outside of Russia, notes Alexander Cherkasov, the chairman of the Council of the HRC "Memorial".

"This is a very frightening trend. It suggests that ethnic Chechens cannot feel safe in almost any corner of the world," Dmitry Piskunov believes.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 29, 2020 at 07:57 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.