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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Human rights activists called Arsamikov's case typical for Chechnya |
| 2023-03-02 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [KavkazUzel] The realities of Chechnya do not allow us to consider the video message of Idris Arsamikov as proof that he is safe, and his case is quite typical for dissidents who left Chechnya, but then decided to come there on personal matters, human rights activists interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" stated. The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 16 it became known that 28-year-old Idris Arsamikov, who had returned from the Netherlands to Russia, was detained at Moscow's Domodedovo airport and handed over to Chechen law enforcers. Arsamikov was taken to Chechnya, where he is in mortal danger, human rights activists suggested, and on February 21 they turned to the UN about the fate of the young man. On February 27, ten international and Russian human rights organizations issued a joint statement calling on the Russian authorities to release Idris Arsamikov. On the evening of February 17, a video was posted on social networks , in which Idris Arsamikov stated that he was at home in Chechnya and intended to go to Ukraine to participate in a special operation, and also asked human rights activists to "leave him behind." The video recording was made under duress, as the detention of Arsamikov caused a great public outcry, human rights activists considered. ARSAMIKOV'S VIDEO REFUSING HELP ONLY CONFIRMS THE DANGER TO HIM The words of Idris Arsamikov in the video cannot be considered a refusal to help human rights activists, said Alexandra Miroshnikova, spokeswoman for the SOS Crisis Group. "Formally, the video is not an official refusal of legal assistance. From the point of view of the law, we need Arsamikov's official refusal, which we did not receive," she told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. A person can declare that he is safe, but at the same time his life may be in danger, lawyer Galina Tarasova pointed out. “Against the will and desire of a person, a lawyer cannot carry out activities to protect his rights. But one should take into account the specifics of certain situations. With regard to Chechnya, there are many cases when people reported violations of human rights and crimes, and then videos appeared with their apologies or denials. And there was reason to believe that people were forced to make these apologies or denials. Sometimes there is a video in which a person claims that he is safe and does not need help, but his whereabouts are unknown and the circumstances in which he disappeared from the field view of relatives and the public, indicate that he may be forcibly detained somewhere," she told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. PUBLICITY IN SUCH STORIES HELPS WHEN THE KREMLIN PAYS ATTENTION TO IT. OTHERWISE, THE CHECHEN AUTHORITIES ARE DOING WHAT THEY PLANNED Lawyers and human rights activists can be involved in such situations, Tarasova is sure. "If after such a video recording a person disappears, a crime is committed against him or there are grounds to believe that he became a victim of a crime, then during the investigation the video recording can be subjected to psychological research to find out if the recorded statements were made by a person under the influence of violence, coercion," said the lawyer. The video recording of Arsamikov, in which he says that he is safe, shows just the opposite, says Svetlana Gannushkina, chairwoman of the Civic Assistance Committee. "Of course, there is a threat to the health and life of Arsamikov. Of course, he recorded the video under pressure. He is now in danger. Without a doubt. We hope that publicity will help. But publicity in such stories helps when the Kremlin pays attention to it. In such In most cases, stories end successfully. And if not, then the Chechen authorities do what they have planned," she said. Idris Arsamikov left Russia in 2018 after being detained, beaten and electrocuted on suspicion of homosexuality. According to human rights activists, he is not wanted.and no criminal cases were brought against him. According to the orientation signed by the head of the criminal investigation department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Shelkovsky district, the security forces motivate the detention of Arsamikov with a criminal case of fraud on an especially large scale. The orientation "suddenly appeared," although the statement that became the basis for initiating the case was written back in December 2021, when Arsamikov was in the Netherlands, the SOS Crisis Group indicated. Arsamikov was detained and tortured three times after he returned to Chechnya in the spring of 2022 for his father's funeral. And he could not return to the Netherlands, as his documents were taken from him, human rights activists found out. ARSAMIKOV'S CASE FITS INTO THE TREND OF PERSECUTION OF DISSIDENTS IN CHECHNYA The case of Idris Arsamikov is not isolated and typical for Chechnya, but the time when the man decided to come to Chechnya gave it a special resonance, Miroshnikova noted. “The situation when Chechens who left [dissenters] return to the funeral of their relatives, due to the illness of someone from the family, is typical and common. Sometimes they are repeatedly detained and tortured again, but, as a rule, our clients still succeed again leave Chechnya and go back to a new country of residence. Unfortunately, Idris chose the worst time for such risky adventures. 2022 greatly complicated the situation in Russia and Chechnya, repression intensified, and getting out of the region became more difficult," explained a spokeswoman for Krisisnaya SK SOS groups. Svetlana Gannushkina* agrees with this assessment. “For the security forces of Chechnya, all people who left the republic for one reason or another related to the policy of the leadership are important. Border guards once admitted to us that they report every native of Chechnya who once left the republic, but then ended up in Russia. The Chechen authorities want to use every such case to show the rest "how not to behave. Whether it be a representative of the LGBT community or a political opponent," she stressed. Gannushkina admits that Arsamikov may no longer be found. “Remember the story of Bakaev, who disappeared? The Chechen authorities at first denied everything, then Ramzan Kadyrov somehow spoke about him and said, they say, what do you want from us, his relatives dealt with him. Unfortunately, there is a possibility that Arsamikov will not be found But I very much hope that it will still be possible to help this person, ”said Gannushkina. On August 8, 2017, 26-year-old native of Grozny Zelimkhan Bakaev went missing, and on September 24 of the same year, a video was made public in which Bakaev announced that he was in Germany. However, his acquaintances and human rights activists considered the video staged, drawing attention to Zelimkhan's unnatural behavior, Russian-made furniture and an energy drink that was not sold in Germany. In November 2020, human rights activists reported that Bakaev's fate remained unknown, although Ramzan Kadyrov indirectly confirmed that he had been killed. There is no information about any influential relatives of Arsamikov involved in his detention, Alexandra Miroshnikova pointed out. Also, according to her, there is no evidence that Arsamikov, while in the Netherlands, was active in social networks. “After emigrating and obtaining official status abroad, our wards become relatively independent and turn to us only in case of force majeure,” she explained. About how people with non-traditional sexual orientation live in Chechnya, and how the fate of some of them after the start of mass roundups, a homosexual from Chechnya, who left the country, told the "Caucasian Knot" in an interview "They will kill, not their own, then strangers": gay about life in Chechnya and flight from Russia." |
| Posted by:badanov |