CHECHNYA PEACE FORUM
Dear Friend
I am writing to you in my capacity as Director of the Chechnya Peace Forum.
As an active campaigner for human rights for many years, not least in Bosnia
during the early 1990s and over the past five years for the oppressed people
of Chechnya, I have recently set-up a formal initiative in London to unite
with other human rights activists called the Chechnya Peace Forum.
We are seeking to promote the cause of democracy and human rights in Chechnya,
and bring the humanitarian crisis there to greater international attention.
Over the last few months many people have offered support to the efforts of
the Chechnya Peace Forum and I am now in a position to ask for your help with
our first substantial piece of work.
We are currently in the process of collecting signatures for a letter to President
Putin intended for publication in the national press on 7th May 2007. This
marks to the very day the beginning of the final 12 months of Putin’s
tenure as President of Russia, and the letter calls on him to use his remaining
time in office to end the human rights atrocities and war crimes in Chechnya
that have been a hallmark of his Presidency. We hope to secure the signatures
of many high profile and influential people from politics, business, culture
and so on – from many countries around Europe, who can no longer remain
silent in the face of the persistent human rights abuses and war crimes in
Chechnya. It is in this spirit that I am writing to invite you to sign the
attached letter.
As I am sure you are aware investigative Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya
and former Russian Security Agent Alexander Litvinenko were outspoken critics
of human rights atrocities in Chechnya. They were both good friends of mine
and following their deaths it is important that those of us who defend the
rule of law and human rights continue with their endeavours to highlight these
crimes in the West.
If you would like any further details about the Chechnya Peace Forum, or about
this letter (like who else has agreed to sign it), then please feel free to
contact our communications professional, Laura Brodie on 0207 149 3703
I hope you feel able to sign this letter. I would be grateful if you could
respond by email to info@chechnyapeaceforum.com saying you agree to add your
name by the end of April.
Yours sincerely
Ivar Amundsen
Director
Chechnya Peace Forum
PO Box 5628, London W1A 5WQ
Email: Ivar Amundsen
To President Vladimir Putin, 7th May 2007
We, the undersigned, are leaders from a variety of sectors – politics,
business, culture and so on – from many countries around Europe, who can
no longer remain silent in the face of the persistent human rights abuses and
war crimes in Chechnya.
We are writing to you on the day precisely one year before you have to end your
term as the President of Russia, to implore you to use the time left to you in
that important office to act to end the war and to restore peace and justice
in Chechnya. You are in a unique position to end the suffering of the Chechen
people and restore justice and respect for human rights.
Since 1999, hundreds of thousands of Chechens have been displaced and more than
100,000 killed – mostly civilians. Disappearances, torture, rape, extra-judicial
killings and the silencing of independent journalists and human rights defenders
have been daily occurrences, both by Russian forces and the militia of the president
there that you recently appointed, Ramzan Kadyrov. For the vast majority of the
Chechen people, Kadyrov’s Presidency is little more than a regime of fear
and oppression, with no way out and no avenues to seek justice for the daily
crimes against civilians.
In November 2006 the United Nations Committee Against Torture expressed grave
concern about “reliable reports of unofficial places of detention in the
North Caucasus and the allegations that those detained in such facilities face
torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment”. In March 2007, following
a visit to Chechnya, the Council of Europe Commissioner on Human Rights deplored
the continuing torture and lack of accountability.
On 18 January 2007, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favour of the
applicants in its first torture case from Chechnya. Adam and Arbi Chitayev are
two brothers who had been held in secret detention and subjected to torture by
Russian forces in 2000. Most of the secret detention facilities in Chechnya are
now run by “Kadyrovtsy”, in which civilians are regularly detained
without charge or any official record and subjected to torture to obtain so-called “confessions”.
On 23 January 2007, the Russian Supreme Court denied an appeal against the closure
of the Society for Russian-Chechen Friendship, an NGO based in Nizhny Novgorod,
which has publicized such abuses against civilians throughout the Chechen conflict.
Despite overwhelming evidence from human rights organizations about continuing
war crimes in Chechnya and the silencing of human rights defenders and independent
journalists, the international community has so far turned a blind eye and remained
silent. It is part of our intention to bring the horrific situation in Chechnya
to wider public attention, and exhort you to take whatever action you can to
restore peace and the rule of law in Chechnya.
Today, the very essence of our humanity is at stake in Chechnya.
Yours (all names)