Svetlana Gannushkina: Kadyrov wants dissension among Chechens, Ingushetians

Svetlana Gannushkina, a member of the Board of the Human Rights Center Memorial and the Commission on Human Rights for the Russian President, comments on the situation with regard to Chechen refugees in Ingushetia.

Svetlana Gannushkina: I am well aware of how authorities are going to solve the problem of internally displaced persons. Sure, if this can be called a solution at all. They want to herd Chechen refugees in Chechnya, from all over Russia if possible, amalgamate Chechnya and Ingushetia and make the world just forget about this problem. Kadyrov is next presumed somehow to make order in the republic by himself. And no one cares how it will be done. In time, maybe, Putin will put another, more civilized, to put it this way, leader at the head of Chechnya. However, he needs Kadyrov presently, because he knows no bounds in methods. And for that matter, myself I am absolutely sure Kadyrov acts according to the principle that "the ends justify the means." After all, we all remember how they had back Khambiev, Ichkeria's Defense Minister.

Caucasian Knot: As is known, his relatives were arrested that time...

S.G.: Yes, even distant ones. Some of them were tortured and killed as a result. One of those detained was a university student. He was taken right from a lecture, although he wasn't guilty of anything. Women were arrested, too, even those who moved to distant villages in the mountains after marriage. Yet, they were found and detained. Just one thing was left for Khambiev in such circumstances - surrender. Besides, Kadyrov had proclaimed a jihad against the Russian authorities during the first war. And after that, he is not confused now to proclaim a jihad against Maskhadov and all those with him. He said this jihad was just the truest one, and that sounded absolutely like an advertisement. By the way, I believe Kadyrov and the Kremlin have somewhat different aims. It's just that they have presently coincided for a while.

CK: What do you think Kadyrov plans to do next?

S.G.: I think he is going to gain control of entire Chechnya and, if possible, Ingushetia, too. Kadyrov would like the united group of troops to obey Chechen government, and he would like to be in full control of Chechnya's oil that would not be taxed. He says this absolutely openly. And such aspirations of Chechnya's head of administration are directly connected with the refugees problem. Thus, he called people not going back to Chechnya Wahhabis. He said the Satsita camp in Ingushetia consists of Wahhabis, which is absolutely groundless. Just women, children and young people live in the camp whom their mothers are afraid to let to Chechnya for quite understandable reasons. Moreover, Kadyrov has lately ventured direct incitement of interethnic hostility.

CK: You mean his statements concerning Chechnya's territorial grievances against Ingushetia?

S.G.: Not only that. Chechnya's head of administration claimed Ingushetia had given shelter to refugees for officials to be able to put something into their pockets, and he is trying to prove that in all possible ways dragging to light all sorts of facts of abuse of power and embezzlement. Unfortunately, they steal everywhere in Russia. However, they steal money in Ingushetia, while it's people in Chechnya. Meanwhile, all this may now come to Ingushetia, too. So by speaking about some territorial grievances against the neighbors Kadyrov directly incites a conflict. While no serious conflict between refugees and local residents has occurred to date, the situation can rapidly worsen. I am very much concerned about that. As everyone knows, after all, Chechen guerillas, giving up, at once get armed again and start to serve Kadyrov. And no one knows what next jihad, the "truer" one, will be like in this situation.

CK: However, Moscow wouldn't like this scenario, would it?

S.G.: Sure, Moscow just plans to herd people in Chechnya and forget about the problem. And no one cares what will happen to them next. What should be done in a situation like that is not being done, to be sure. Of course, if we were entitled to settle that matter, we would support the peaceful "Akhmadov plan" that provides for neutral forces to be sent in Chechnya. It's obvious, however, the Russian leadership will never take a step it considers humiliation. What is there to be discussed at all when the president told me in reply to my statement that our army passed all bounds in Chechnya: well, what's to be done, that's our army. But if this is our army, one should work on it, and international forces could quite be in Chechnya in the meantime. And that would be an acknowledgement of strength, not weakness.

Editors note: See also the article "Authorities keep on 'extruding' refugees out of Ingushetia to Chechnya".