MosNews Officials at Russia’s Domodedovo airport have confiscated the national (internal) passports of 17 <NOBR>Chechen</NOBR> human rights activists heading to Strasbourg for a European Council summit, Interfax quoted the head of the delegation as saying Sunday.
Officials at the checkpoint in Domodedovo confiscated the internal passports and demonstrated disrespect towards the delegation, including women, Nurdi Nukhazhiyev said.
Nukhazhiyev, who heads the Chechen Council of Human Rights Organizations of Chechnya, said after the incident he considered canceling the trip, but Chechen authorities asked him to continue the mission.
“Considering the importance of the planned Strasbourg meeting, the Chechen Republic authorities asked me to continue the trip,” he said.
Nukhazhiyev added he made it clear to officers at the checkpoint that they were acting against the all-Russian policy of presenting equal rights to all ethnicities within Russia.
He said on arriving in Strasbourg he would definitely make the incident known to the Council of Europe.
A delegation of 17 Chechen human rights officials has been invited to Strasburg by Alvaro Gil-Robles, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe.
Officials at Domodedovo airport have not yet commented on the incident. http://www.mosnews.com/news/2005/12/04/chechendelegation.shtml
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