Refugees protest against camp closureTimur Aliyev, North Caucasus – On January 22 about two hundred refugees from the Satsita tent camp rallied in protest against the closure of refugee camps in Ingushetia scheduled for March 1. They held banners saying “Welcome to the Warsaw Ghetto” and “Stop Arbitrary Rule.”
The main reason for their unwillingness to return to Chechnya is still lack of security guarantees. “If [Moscow-backed Chechen leader] Kadyrov says he cannot provide security guarantees for us or for himself in the republic, we’d like to invite him here. We are able to guarantee him safety,“ said one of the protesters.
The news of a recent tragedy on the Rostov-Baku road caused great concern. An armored personnel carrier opened fire on a car, killing a woman and injuring three Chechen policemen that were inside.
Members of Chechen human rights organizations, who also took part in the protest, spoke up in support of the refugees. The chairman of the Chechen National Salvation Committee, Ruslan Badalov, told them, “No one has the right to evict you on March 1 or any other time – either under Russian or international law.” (O/E,T) |
