Memorial Human Rights Group Resumes Work In Chechnya

Memorial suspended its activities in the volatile republic in July following the murder of human rights activist Natalya Estemirova, citing then a growing risk to its staff for the decision. The Director of “Memorial” Oleg Orlov said speaking at a press conference in the Parliament of Europe:

“We state today that we are resuming our activities in full volume on the territory of Chechnya. This uneasy decision was made as a result of consultations with our staff in the North Caucasus as well as with a large group of Russian and international human rights organizations.”

Estemirova, a leading Memorial researcher in Chechnya, was abducted outside her home in Grozny, Chechnya’s capital, on July 15 and found shot dead in the neighboring republic of Ingushetia later the same day.

Her murder, which sparked international outrage, was followed three weeks later by the killings of Zarema Sadulayeva and her husband, Alik Dzhabrailov, who both worked for a Chechen charity.

New Legislation – More Powers to Migration Service In Turkmenistan

A law signed by President on December 2 gives the Migration Service several powers previously held by the border guards as the task of checking passports and control over a specialised paramilitary force. The law also gives the migration service the authority to conduct quasi-judicial investigations. “Does this mean a new security agency has been established?” asked the lawyer.

“The migration service has unlimited power over people through the black-lists it compiles. Anyone’s name can go down on the list,” You never find out why they’ve done it. They don’t explain”.

Independent estimates by human rights activists suggest that about 17,000 people – journalists, civil society activists, NGO members, the relatives of opposition members, and others deemed to have suspect loyalties are included on the blacklist.Anyone on the list trying to leave Turkmenistan for personal or business reasons is stopped at the airport border post and taken off the flight.

This summer, many students attending foreign universities found themselves unable to leave Turkmenistan after the summer vacation.

“Very often, the migration service does not return a passport [submitted with an application for an exit permit] or holds it until the deadline has past, when it returns it saying the holder failed to claim it on time,” said an observer in Ashgabat.“There are often good laws adopted in our country, but who observes them. This law will give them more rights to demean us.”

Recalling Of Lithuanian Ambassador Can Be Connected With CIA Secret Prison

Dalia Grybauskaite, the President of Lithuania, decided to recall Mecys Laurinkus, the ambassador of the country to Georgia, in connection with the parliamentary investigation over the possible existence of CIA secret prison in Lithuania.The president has the right to recall.

The order to recall the ambassador within 24 hours appeared yesterday, loss of trust was called the reason.

On Tuesday Povilas Malakauskas, the security department director, who succeeded Laurinkus at the post, submitted resignation. Laurinkus headed the security dept to summer 2007. The fact was confirmed by the Lithuanian Foreign Minister. He said the President expressed mistrust and the government will discuss it and make decision on Wednesday.

Polish Police Force Protesting Asylum Seekers Heading to Strasbourg Off Train

230 asylum seekers from Georgia, Chechnya and also residents of the south Russian republic of Ingushetia while protesting against poor living conditions and long waiting times for asylum applications in Poland decided to reach Strasbourg in a human rights protest. The decided to use the train but without the tickets and any documents for travel.

When the train with all refuges was stopped at the German border they refused to leave the train. The police was called.

The border control spokeswoman Anna Galon said: “We used neither direct force nor means available to the police, as there were 60 children among the refugees. All the refugees would likely be returned to their camps after police reports have been compiled.”

The refugees have demanded they be given official status as soon as possible and be provided with tolerable food.

The foreigners without official status of refugee cannot cross borders even despite being in Shengen space.155 were sent to the refugee center in Dembak. According to the Polish border police representative, three will be put in the special guarded center, as their term of stay in Poland finished, and they’re staying illegally.