GPO would not assess MIA’s position on problems of Syrian Circassians

The Kabardino-Balkarian Human Rights Centre (HRC) has received an answer to its appeal to Yuri Chaika, the Head of the Russian General Prosecutor’ Office (GPO), requesting to give a legal assessment of the position of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), which had refused to treat Syrian Circassians as compatriots abroad, saying that the appeal had been redirected to the MIA. The HRC demands to cancel the decision on redirection.

From the viewpoint of Russian legislation, Syrian Circassians should be treated as compatriots, as well as residents of Donbas, but the de facto situation is completely different, Valery Khatazhukov, the head of the HRC, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"Syria is facing a humanitarian catastrophe – a war, Circassians are forced to flee, as once from the Russian Empire, and scatter around the world," Mr Khatazhukov has explained.

Legally, members of the Circassian Diaspora are still treated as our fellow countrymen – this category includes everyone whose ancestors lived in the territory of the former Soviet Union and the Russian Empire, said Nikolai Silaev, a senior researcher at the MGIMO (Foreign Relations Institute in Moscow).

In the issue of Circassians’ repatriation little depends on regional authorities, only "the good will of the leadership of the Russian Federation" is needed, Aslan Beshto, the head of the “Adyge-Khase” organization of Kabardino-Balkaria, is sure.

Olga Efendieva-Begret, a co-founder of the "Ochag" Compatriots Support Foundation, has added that there is no reason to think that militants can come to the Caucasus under the guise of repatriates.

The return of Circassian compatriots will bring investments into the republics of their new residence, the activist believes.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.