CNM Press Release

The Circassian Nationalist Movement, a committee entrusted with following up the Circassian issues by the Association of  Caucasus Circassian Friends, addressed the Chairman of the Russian State Duma, The President of the Subcommittee on Human Rights of the European Parliament and the president of the European Union  in a letter (about recent fallacies of the Russian state regarding the repatriation of Circassians of Syria to their historical homeland Circassia) the following is the text of the letter: 

Jordanian Association of Caucasus Circassian Friends(JACCF)

Circassian Nationalist Movement

(Circassian Nationalist Movement’s statement about recent fallacies of the Russian state against Circassians of Syria regarding repatriation to their historical motherland Circassia)

News reports from the Russian capital, Moscow and the central government stated that the response of the Russian Duma to the request made by the Head of the Adigha Khasa, the Circassian Association in the Republic of Adygea, Adam Shoaib Boghos about helping Circassians of Syria to return to their historical homeland Circassia, due to the dire situation they are in as a result of the current war in Syria that is ravishing the country, and the response said: "The Committee for Nationalities in the Russian Duma would inform you that your request to help the Circassians of Syria to return to the Russian Federation has been conveyed to the Ministry of Regional Development of the Russian Federation, as it was stated by  A.F. Zhuravsky Director of the Department of International Relations, he said: the Ministry responded with the following: Syrian Circassians are descendents of families of Adyghe people from the North and West Caucasus that have not adopted the Russian citizenship and made a voluntary choice to leave the region after the Caucasus War (1817 – 1864). Thus, ancestors of the Syrian Circassians living in the territories, until their resettlement in 1864 in the Ottoman Empire were not part of the Russian state, and under paragraph 3 of Article 1 of the Federal law cannot be considered as immigrants, in addition to details regarding the considerations formulated by what was called the Russian Federal Law, as well as "the implementation of the governmental program for supporting the citizens residing abroad for their return to homeland, which established in its new format with the Presidential Decree No. 1289 of 14, September, 2012” the "Director of Nationalities Relations Department, A. F. Joravsky” concluded the reply saying: "Based on what was mentioned above, we believe that the issue of reclassification of Syrian Circassians to compatriots abroad requires a comprehensive study with the participation of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian Federal Migration Service.”!

Based on this controversial response, the Circassian Nationalist Movement emanating from the Jordanian Association of Caucasus Circassian Friends (JACCF) would like to clarify the  following:

-  The Committee for Nationalities’ Affairs, of the Federal Council of the Russian Federation / Sixth Session in the State Duma is conveying the response of another party (official response) as if it acknowledges information and positions of  great importance, where it reaches to the extent of contradiction with the historical facts and realities on one hand and with the Constitution and Russian laws in force on the other hand, and what came in the response, does not only allude to ignore the rights of the Circassian people (Circassian nation) as one of the indigenous or authentic nations in the North Caucasus, but even ignores its human rights, UN principles and legislations of Human Rights, and International Law.

- There is persistence on the Russian side on labeling the  Russian / Circassian war as the Caucasian war, which leads to  ignoring its real name, and to divert attention and interests instead to read between the lines in an effort to distort reality and change the facts.

- The Russian / Circassian war which extended for one hundred and one year between the years 1763-1864,  its reported falsely as follows: "military operations of the Caucasian war (1817-1864)”, which is incompatible with its real name and historical facts, leading to confusion in meaning and purpose.

- There is a contradiction in the documented and verbal Russian promises that did not come to light in a serious and balanced form starting from remarks by former Russian President Boris Yeltsin in 1996 and the subsequent Russian authorities dealing with the Nalchik-based International Circassian Association ICA, and ending with the impasse  regarding the humanitarian plight the Circassians of Syria are facing now as a result of the ongoing violence in Syria, and the Russian authorities’ unwillingness and repeated refusal to cooperate in this tragic circumstance!

- The unprecedented recognition by  the ” Ministry of Regional Development of the Russian Federation”, supported by the "Committee for Nationalities’ Affairs in the Russian Duma,” shows beyond any reasonable doubt that the Circassians of Adyge origin who form 90% of the Circassian nation has been displaced after systematical genocide, ethnic cleansing and expulsion in tragic circumstances outside their historical Motherland, the Russian statement describes that  the current Circassians of Syria lived in territories that were not within the Russian Federation until their deportation in 1864 to the Ottoman Empire and cannot be considered as immigrants from the Russian state, in accordance with paragraph 3 of Article 1 of federal law, and this unprecedented recognition proves that Russia has occupied their homeland in 1864, and therefore, how can the citizens of occupied territories become citizens of the state which occupied their country!

- Thus, the Russian Duma admitted that the Circassian nation did not voluntarily join the Russian Empire 450 years ago, contradicting the official Russian claims, when the Russian government celebrated the event accordingly in September / 2007 with the participation of Circassian parties who are considered as part of the Russian public administration in the North Caucasus and other Diaspora Circassians associated with the International Circassian Association, and also means that the Russian Duma fortunately acknowledged that the Circassian Homeland was not at that time as part of the Russian Empire but was occupied by the Tsarist Russian Empire in the nineteenth century after a destructive and atrocious war.

The Circassian Nationalist Movement would like to point out that "what was a right one day, remains a right forever”, There is no statute of limitations on heinous crimes against the people.

The Circassian Nationalist Movement believes that Circassia which was historically the homeland of Circassians will remain a Circassians homeland forever.

Circassian nationalist movement

Amman- Jordan

Publishing Date: 12, March, 2013

Source: http://www.jaccf.org/?p=1103