European MPs meet human rights activists in Ingushetia

On September 2, the office of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" in Nazran hosted a meeting of human rights activists and applicants to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) with members of the European Parliament. In total, eight European parliamentarians came to Ingushetia; the delegation was headed by Heidi Hautala, chair of the human rights committee.

Vakha Chapanov, head of the Information Agency "Maximum", told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the meeting with the MPs was moderated by Timur Akiev, head by the Ingush branch of the "Memorial". The meeting raised the issues of kidnappings and murders of citizens by power agents and later announcement of the casualties to be militants, which are topical both for the republic and the rest of the Caucasus.

The meeting was attended by Ella Kesaeva, head of the organization "Voice of Beslan", who emphasized that the European MPs came to the Caucasus under the invitation of her organization and thanked them for their attention to the problems of the region.

"All the participants of the meeting agreed that the opposition of citizens and state officials, law enforcement bodies inclusive, is the problem not only of separate regions but of the whole of Russia; therefore, it should be addressed collectively by all the stakeholders," said Chapanov.

Among other things, the meeting discussed the topic of the refugees, who apply for refuge in Europe. Under the MPs' statistical data, only 18 families out of 486, who applied last year for refuge in Norway, were granted it. "Maybe now the European MPs will think more about what happens here, why people run away from here, and will treat it differently," Vakha Chapanov assumed.

The meeting at the Ingush "Memorial" lasted for more than an hour. As added by Chapanov, the meeting was also attended by Magomed Mutsolgov, head of the human rights organization "Mashr" and oppositionist Magomed Khazbiev.

According to Mr Chapanov, so far, the European delegation met neither President nor the government of Ingushetia. Under his information, such meetings were not planned. It is known that the MPs are going to visit a refugees' camp in Ingushetia and the charitable organization "Vesta" working on European programmes.