Russian Federation: Fear for safety / torture / "disappearance" of Makhmut Magomadov
PUBLIC AI Index: EUR 46/005/2005
4 February 2005
Further Information on UA 18/05 (EUR 46/002/2005, 21 January 2005) - Fear for safety/torture/ "disappearance"
RUSSIAN FEDERATION Makhmut Magomadov (m) (note amended spelling)
(Chechen Republic)
There is still no news of Chechen human rights lawyer Makhmut Magomadov who was seized by armed men on 20 January in the Chechen capital, Grozny. Amnesty International is gravely concerned that he is at serious risk of being tortured, or killed.
Makhmut Magomadov’s family have reportedly received conflicting official statements from the Staropromyslovskii district procuracy and the Staropromyslovskii district police in Grozny, alleging that Makhmut Magomadov had been released on 23 January. However, his family and colleagues have not seen him since he was abducted on 20 January and believe that the reports of his release are not credible.
The recent human rights violations in the Chechen Republic were the subject of a declaration from the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly's Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, issued on 27 January. The declaration cited the case of Makhmut Magomadov and other human rights defenders working on Chechnya: "[The Committee] is particularly shocked about the targeting of human rights defenders by acts of repression, in particular the abduction on 20 January 2005 of Makhmut Magomadov, and the raid on the same day by FSB officers of the Nizhny Novgorod office of the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society."
Amnesty International is concerned that Makhmut Magomadov may have been singled out because of his persistent and effective work in defence of human rights, in particular his work preparing cases for submission to the European Court of Human Rights that deal with human rights violations committed in the course of the Chechen conflict. A Russian NGO, the International Protection Centre, had submitted a number of cases on which Makhmut Magomadov had collaborated, most recently in late December 2004. Makhmut Magomadov had been heavily involved in preparing the documents for these cases, in particular in ensuring that applicants had exhausted all the avenues available to them to obtain justice in Russia, which they must do before they can apply to the European Court.
The human rights organisation that Makhmut Magomadov works for, the Chechen Committee for National Salvation, have received nearly 100 copies of appeals sent by UA network members from around the world. They are using the appeals to increase publicity for the case. They are very grateful for the actions of the UA network, and thank them for the huge effort they have made.
Many thanks to all who took action on this case. If possible, please send a final round of appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Russian or your own language:
- expressing concern for the safety of human rights lawyer Makhmut Magomadov, who was abducted by armed men in camouflage on 20 January, in the Staropromyslovskii district of Grozny;
- expressing concern at allegations that he was abducted by the security forces, and singled out because of his work in defence of human rights;
- calling for a full, thorough and independent inquiry into allegations that the men who abducted him were members of the security forces under the command of First Deputy Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov;
- if he is in the custody of the security forces, urging the authorities to ensure that he is released immediately and unconditionally;
- calling on the authorities to end the persecution of human rights defenders and activists working in the North Caucasus.
APPEALS TO: (Fax machines may be switched off outside office hours – GMT+3)
President of the Russian Federation
Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN
g. Moskva, Kreml
Russian Federation
Fax: + 7 095 206 85 10
+ 7 095 206 51 73
+ 7 095 230 24 08
Email: president@gov.ru
Salutation: Dear President Putin
Procurator General of the Russian Federation
Vladimir USTINOV
General Procuracy of the Russian Federation
Ul. B. Dimitrovka 15a
103793 Moscow K-31
Russian Federation
Fax: + 7 095 292 8848 (if someone answers say "fax please")
Salutation: Dear Procurator General
Procurator of the Chechen Republic
Vladimir Pavlovich Kravchenko
Procuracy of the Chechen Republic
Ul. Garazhnaya 9 b
Grozny, Chechen Republic
Russian Federation
Fax: + 7 8712 22 31 43 (if someone answers say "fax please")
+ 7 095 777 92 26
Salutation: Dear Procurator
COPIES TO:
Vladimir Lukin, Ombudsman of the Russian Federation
Fax: +7 095 207 76 30
Ella Pamfilova, Chair of the Human Rights Commission of the Russian Federation
Fax: +7 095 206 48 55
Chechen Committee of National Salvation
Email: chkns@mail.ru
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY********
Source: Amnesty International (T) |
