Gannushkina: Kadyrov made Chechen authorities incapable to perceive human rights activists

With advent of Ramzan Kadyrov to power in Chechnya, words of human rights activists, even void of criticism, are rejected. This was stated by Svetlana Gannushkina, chair of the Committee for Civil Assistance, speaking as witness on September 25 at the Tver Court of Moscow at the court session on Ramzan Kadyrov's claim against head of the HRC "Memorial" Oleg Orlov.

This was Ms Gannushkina's explanation of the respondent's words that "Kadyrov made the work of human rights activists in Chechnya impossible."

Let us remind you that the essence of the President's claim is that Orlov, in his opinion, had publicly offended Kadyrov, accusing him of the death of the Chechen human rights defender Natalia Estemirova.

Ms Gannushkina told about today's attitude of Chechen authorities to human rights organizations and compared the situation in Chechnya before and under Ramzan Kadyrov.

"Under Alkhanov (Alu Alkhanov - President of Chechnya from September 2004 to February 2007, - comment of the "Caucasian Knot"), there was a case: in 2006, Bulat Chilaev, a driver of the organization 'Civil Assistance', was kidnapped in Chechnya. During the rally for his release, the militia was guarding us. Now, when on July 16 a funeral procession spontaneously formed at the 'Memorial' office, law enforcers behaved defiantly. One of them promised: 'Now I detain all of you, and then we'll find a case for everyone.' This is what we have in today's Chechnya. Attitude to human rights activists is harsh," said Ms Gannushkina.

She has noted that in the annual report "On Situation with Residents of Chechnya in the Russian Federation" by the HRC "Memorial" practically every word was perceived as a cavil to Chechnya.

"At the meeting with Kadyrov in his residence in February 2008, an offer was made by him not to publish anything, not to place materials in the Internet and in the press, but to address him personally on every problem," Svetlana Gannushkina remembered. "By the way, all our later attempts to address him failed - our letters don't reach him," she has added and noted that Kadyrov's people fear to give him our letters.

She said that when being asked whether he read the reports of human rights activists prior to criticise them, Kadyrov answered that there is no need to do it, as everything is reported to him. "During the second meeting last it became clear that the head of Chechnya doesn't understand at all, how we work and what we do. To his statement that he does everything for the good of his people I answered that he should benefit from our information - we say where and why his people suffer. I got the answer: 'What do I need you information for, when I have my agent in every fixed-route taxi," said Gannushkina and continued: "On March 31, 2008, Natalia Estemirova was called to the Mayoralty of Grozny, and in the presence of Mayor Muslim Khuchiev Ramzan Kadyrov appeared. He started crying and offended Natasha, saying that a decent woman does not go without a headgear. He said that he had thought that she was not a Chechen, but it turned out that she was a Chechen. In summary, Kadyrov said that she should think about her daughter. And it sounded as a serious threat," said Ms Gannushkina.

"On July 7, 2009, a public execution was committed in Akhkinchu-Borzoy village, about which Estemirova wrote. And on July 10, Shakhman Akbulatov, head of the Grozny 'Memorial', was invited to Nurdi Nukhazhiev, Ramzan Kadyrov's devoted servant, who started saying that it was not good to act like that: if she knows something, she'd try solving the problem inside Chechnya, not crying about it to the whole world," said the human rights defender.

"Then Nukhazhiev said: 'You need to change the methods of your work, otherwise something irreparable can happen."

She has added that after the meeting with Nukhazhiev two more persons directly delivered threats to Natalia Estemirova. "I can't name these persons here, but I gave their names to the investigation," she said.