Appeal to Immigration Court of the Kingdom of Sweden From International Human Rights Group
We at the International Human Rights Group have gotten an appeal from a Chechen asylum seeker Ruslan Djamayev, b.1978, who has recently faced a threat of extradition to the Russian Federation.
Here is his tragic story:
"I arrived to Sweden with the hope to get here political asylum, because I was persecuted by the Russian special forces as well as by the puppet Kadyrov's regime. I had a close threat to my life. I participated in the first Chechen war under the direct command of field commander Alhi Berdukaev, in subordination of President of ChRI Aslan Maskhadov.
I did not participate in the second Chechen war (beg. 1999) against the Russian aggressors and their puppet Chechen allies, but I helped and supported the resistance as much as I could.
In 2002 I was abducted by Federal troops and brought to an unknown place. They severely beat me and tortured, demanding from me some information. Then, having thought that I was dead, they threw me, as I was unconscious, to the outskirt of Grozny city. That time I managed to survive. After I was a little better, my parents took me out of Grozny to our relatives in Urus-Martan. But this didn't save me from a new detention. In April 2007 I was kidnapped by kadyrovites. They beat me a long while, forcing me to cooperate with them in exchange of saving my life. After unbearable tortures, I agreed. I was taken to the mountains to fight against "boevics." That was, in fact, an operation against a small detachment under command of my uncle Alavdi Djamaev. I was lucky to flee for an old acquaintance then-kadyrovite, helped me.
There was no way out for me as to escape from Chechnya. My mother sold our house and we managed to flee. We came to Sweden (as far as we could) in May 2007.
Kadyrovites made a hard revenge to those who helped us to flee. My acquaintance-kadyrovite was shot to death with his brothers; my friend Magomed Magomadov, who together with me helped the Resistance, was caught up. He had a paper with a list of many Chechens who had to be killed. My name was among them. Afterwards, Magomadov was hanged up. In 2008 the Russian authorities submitted my name to the criminal investigation department. Every week the Police (in Russian-militia) came to my relative in Grozny, demanding that we returned back home.
With that tragic past and dangerous future, I hoped to get a political asylum in Sweden. But my dream failed, and already the third time I receive the negative response from the Sweden Authorities. Moreover, I may face extradition to Russia (Chechnya). I have no doubt that I will be killed very soon after heavy and likely deadly tortures.”
We found out that the Immigration authorities in Sweden were reasoning their decision about Ruslan Djamayev by the assertion that the Resistance fighters had been granted a legal amnesty, and their lives are safe now in Chechnya. We must say that this statements are fully wrong. We can bring as an example a recent horrible case of a young man, Alikhan Markuev. Markuev, b. 1988, participated a year (in 2006) in the Resistance. He was pardoned by official amnesty that followed a decree issued by President of the RF. On July 19, 2009, unknown armed men in camouflage kidnapped him from his home in Argun city. Alikhan Markuev was killed a few days afterwards, His body with signs of tortures was found in outskirt of the city; an automatic gun was put on the ground at his side. The relatives received a message that Alikhan was killed in a fight as a boevick.
There is hundreds of killing that way after amnesty. Svetlana Gannushkina, a member of the Presidential Council on Civic Society Development and Human Rights Defense, Russian Federation wrote to President Medvedev in her open letter: So called amnesty aims to reveal the resistance fighters and the extermination of them afterwards." As to "a safe life in Chechnya” we can clearly judge on the trial now in Austria against President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov, where many dozens of witnesses will speak about the crimes of Kadyrov and Co. in Chechnya for the last 4 years.
The IHRG has checked the above information, using its own contacts, as well as some official and non-official documents, that we can place at your disposal any time on your first request. We urge the Honorable Court to reconsider the case of Ruslan Djamayev, and grant him as soon as possible the status of Political asylum. He will be fully devoted to your country and a valuable asset in every side of the Sweden nowadays reality where he might be involved. Ruslan suffered a lot. He doesn’t deserve to suffer again.
With the hope for your decision in accordance with the facts above and with your understanding of Human Rights,
Sincerely
Members of IHRG:
Victoria Poupko,
Director of "Anna Politkovskaya Memorial Fund”, Boston, Mass. USA;
Nadezhda Banchik,
Journalist, member of Amnesty Internarional; San Jose, CA, USA;
Mayrbek Taramov,
Director of "Chechen Human Rights Center”, Sweden;
David Kudykov,
Writer, member of a few Academies, Great Britain;
Elena Maglevannaya,
Journalist; Finland;
Said-Emin Ibragimov,
President of International Association "Peace and Human
Rights”, France;
Hana Demeterova
Head of civic organization "Help a single man” , Slovakia .
http://www.chechenpress.co.uk/content/2010/11/18/main02.shtml
