Picketers in Moscow remind Polish authorities about OSCE conclusions

The Polish authorities, who have decided to deport blogger Tumso Abdurakhmanov to Russia, failed to take into account the recommendations of the report of the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) on human rights violations in Chechnya, rights defenders have stated at an action in Moscow. They pointed to cases of violent disappearances of other Chechens, who has been expelled from Europe to Russia.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on Friday, December 28, 2018, outside the Polish Embassy in Moscow, human rights defenders held three solo pickets in defence of the Chechen blogger Tumso Abdurakhmanov. His extradition to Russia is a threat to his life, the defenders have stated.

The extradition of Abdurakhmanov to Russia means a mortal danger for him, since Chechen authorities will not forgive him his harsh criticism of them, Oleg Orlov, the head of the "Hot Spots" Programme of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial".

"He is a public and consistent critic of Razman Kadyrov's regime. As a blogger, Abdurakhmanov is very famous in Chechnya," Mr Orlov has explained, adding that "in the last two or three years" cases of deportation of Chechens and other North-Caucasian natives from Europe to Russia have become more frequent; and refusals to grant the refugee status have become a trend.

According to his story, this has to do "with the migration crisis in Europe." Because of the huge inflow of refugees from the Middle East, social tensions arise, and officials are guided by formal orientations, when considering asylum requests.

In her turn, Svetlana Gannushkina, the head of the Civil Assistance Committee, has associated the frequent deportations of Chechens from European countries to Russia with the efforts of the Russian authorities to create a positive image of Chechnya in the eyes of the European Union.