Two human rights activists from Chechnya detained on Russia-Azerbaijan borderTimur Aliyev, North Caucasus – Two Chechen human rights activists, Larisa Temirsultanova and Khadizhat Yusupova, were detained on the border between Azerbaijan and Russia on January 4. A friend of the girls reported this by telephone from London on the evening of January 5 to Zargan Makhadzhiyeva, chairwoman of the human rights organization “Niiso” (Justice).
The friend said he had received a phone call from an unknown woman who did not introduce herself but told him that Temirsultanova and Yusupova had been detained on the border by representatives of the Russian special services.
Larisa Temirsultanova, 21, a co-worker of the organization “Ekho voiny” (Echo of War) and Khadizhat Yusupova, 22, a representative of the organization “Niiso”, were travelling from Baku to Grozny. They had been in Azerbaijan since the end of November 2004, working with representatives of Azerbaijani human rights organizations on a joint project for the creation of a network of kindergartens in Chechnya. They were invited to take part in the project by the Azerbaijani human rights activist Razin Nurullayev.
On the evening of January 3 Larisa called her sister Lila and told her that she was approaching the border by bus. Since then there has been no news from the girls themselves. Their relatives suppose that they may have been taken to Derbent (Southern Dagestan).
Contact telephone numbers for direct line to relatives: +7 (928) 639-45-26, +7 (928) 712-58-40.
(T) |
