Ella Pamfilova discusses problems of Ingushetia with NGO activists

Ella Pamfilova, head of Board at the President of the Russian Federation on promotion to development of civil society institutes and human rights, visited Ingushetia with the aim to study the situation in situ and meet and talk to activists of local public organizations.

According to the Human Rights Centre "Memorial", on March 27, 2010, the office of the HRC "Memorial" in Nazran hosted her meeting with members of Ingush NGOs.

Magomed Aushev, head of the NGO named "Bokyo" (Law), who took part in the meeting, said that the criminal case on the murder of his son, well-known Ingush public figure Maksharip Aushev lasted for more than four months by then, but with no practical results.

According to Aushev-senior, to have the situation in the republic duly normalized, it is necessary to provide more powers to President of Ingushetia Yunus-Bek Evkurov and local law enforcement bodies.

Another participant of the meeting - Musa Zurabov, Chairman of the Coordination Board of Ingush NGOs, - spoke about social and economic problems in the republic and about mass violations of the rights of Ingush nationals in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania.

Magomed Mutsolgov, leader of the human rights NGO named "Mashr", spoke about the problem of human rights violations by law enforcement bodies. Besides, he touched on the topic of Ingushes' return to North Ossetia, nationalism-motivated persecutions of Ingushes and Chechens in custodies and at regular military service; he also emphasized the problem of kidnapped persons.

According to the "Mashr", after 2002, 184 persons were kidnapped and disappeared in the republic; and 23 persons disappeared in North Ossetia in 2005-2007. Mr Mutsolgov also expressed regret because of impossibility to hold protest actions in the order established by the law.

Raissa Akhrieva, head of the public organization "Women of Ingushetia", spoke about the historical injustice in relation to Ingush people.

The meeting also discussed the situation with refugees from Chechnya. Human rights defenders also touched on the topic of the crisis in the republic's judicial system. They supported the position of the President of the republic who believes that judges of Ingushetia are engaged in frank sabotage and fail to do their work properly.

As an example, the litigation was mentioned on the case of 12 persons accused of an armed attack on Ingushetia in 2004. The trial lasts for more than two years already and is far from its end, first of all, as human rights activists assert, for the guilt of the republic's judiciary. Moreover, the case was heard by a jury, but at the stage of debates all the branches of the republic's power began boycotting the litigation. A decision was made to replace jurymen by three judges and remove the hearings to a neighbouring region.

After the meeting, Ella Pamfilova promised to convey all the problems raised in the course of her visit to Chechnya and Ingushetia to the country's leadership.