Human rights defenders do not trust FSB data on KBR residents fighting in Syria

The FSB data on involvement of 183 residents of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR)  in military operations in Syria and Iraq are too much overstated, while many of the persons included in the lists of militants live in Europe. This opinion was voiced by human rights defenders.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 2, the FSB Department for the KBR reported about 183 residents of the republic involved in the hostilities in Syria and Iraq. Besides, the FSB Department has also reported on 152 local residents staying in the KBR’s territory, who were released after they served their sentences for crimes of a terrorist and extremist nature.

Despite the activities of the commission for adaptation of militants to peaceful life, people suspected of involvement in illegal armed formations (IAFs) and active IAF members do not believe in effective cooperation with the state and do not receive guarantees of their life's safety. This was noted by Valery Khatazhukov, the leader of the KBR’s Human Rights Centre (HRC).

Meanwhile, Valery Khatazhukov does not trust the information that 183 KBR citizens are involved in the hostilities in Syria.

"According to our information, several dozen people included by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) in the lists of those who left for Syria have never actually been there. We have such facts, and we have repeatedly noted that. People deny that information. We are told there were cases when a person stays in Europe, but law enforcers visit his parents and tell them that he is in Syria," noted Valery Khatazhukov.

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