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Chechen Refugees Await the Next Attack

February 2, 2006


Chechen Refugees Await  the Next Attack

Pankisi Inhabitants Ask the International Organization for Help


The ethnic wars are assumed either as the struggle for the independence or the separatism movement. Nowadays, the world is the witness of many cataclysms and the negative outcome are the refugees, who have got no a place on the earth.

A dream to return to their native land is still a far perspective for the Chechen refugees, who were displaced from Chechnya to Pankisi gorge in Georgia in 1999.  The reason why  Chechens had to leave their country is the war, that has not been yet ended.

The Chechen refugees have been struggling for their rights in Georgia for six years. That is why the only way out for them is to move to a third country.” We do not want to stay here. There is no a freedom of expression, labor and education for us here. We have no elementary living conditions ”, state the Chechen refugees inhabited in Pankisi gorge, who are asking to be moved to a third country since the very day they have arrived in Georgia. However, they are more worried about the Russian ambassador’s statement at the moment. Recently, the ambassador has noted that the Russian law enforcers possess the information about the particular group of terrorists placed in Pankisi gorge.” The context of the statement is that if  we do not move to Chechnya where the war still continues  the Russians will bomb us in Georgia”, claims Alan Iakhiaev, the Chechen refugee living in Pankisi gorge.

 “It is difficult for us to live in Georgia. Our children do not have future here, not even mentioning us. We are impending deadly danger from the Russian officials, who threaten us directly. Everything should have an end”, says Roza Isupova, who was inhabited in the gorge with her five children in one room, which is the bedroom, kitchen, bathroom as well as the living room for them. The family tries to survive through the UN aid that is provided once in two months and includes flour, bins and sanitary means. However, the grown-ups cannot live only on bins and bread. The parents are also worried about their children’s education. To make the things worse, there is a danger Usupov’s eight-year old daughter goes blind. Helpless mother is not able to find the way out form this situation as well. ”We want to move to a third country, however, the Georgian citizens are brought there instead of us. We are set peculiar criteria that we should respond. My daughter’s eyesight is only 0.01%. The doctor told me that the child’s another eye is under the risk as well. But, no one promises to do something for us…”

The Chechen refugees also note that neither hunger strikes nor the protest acts they implemented had a result. “We were pleading the government and the international organizations for help but in vain”, claim the refugees.

The Chechen refugees ask the international organizations acting in Georgia for help and the Russian ambassador to clarify the statements he has made. Meanwhile, they try hard to oppose the Russians aggression and unconcern of different structures with Caucasian stubbornness.


Gela Mtivlishvili
Veriko Kobiashvili

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