Chechen Refugees' Appeal to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Chechen Refugees' Appeal to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees

To the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Mr. Ruud Lubbers
from the Council of Chechen refugees in Pankisi Gorge (Republic of Georgia)

A p p e a l

To Mr. High Commissioner:
We apply to you out of absolute necessity.

Since December 1999, 7,000 people have applied to the Georgian representatives of the UN High Commission for Refugees because of the lack of humanitarian aid and dangerous security conditions resulting from the military operations conducted by the occupying forces on the territory of Chechnya. These appeals have been met with indifference from many humanitarian organizations, but especially from Georgian UNHCR representatives answering to you.

The Georgian branch of the UNHCR has been guilty of flagrant corruption and gross incompetence. UNHCR has repeatedly ignored the rights of refugees and violated internationally recognized security norms by sending Chechens in Georgia back to Chechnya against their will. At the same time, UNHCR frequently offers shelter in neutral countries to non-Chechen refugees who have fled to Georgia. In addition, UNHCR has given only the bare minimum amount of aid to keep Chechen refugees alive.

Most who return to Chechnya are lost without a trace. They are often immediately put into prison camps, beaten, and threatened with death unless they pay extortion to local officials.

We possess more than enough evidence to accuse representatives of UNHCR in Georgia of conducting an intentional and systematic policy of discrimination against Chechen refugees that essentially amounts to genocide. The Chechen Refugee Council asks you to establish special commission to investigate the matter of Chechen refugees in Georgia, with the participation of Chechen Refugee Council.

Members of Chechen Refugee Council:

1. Mausar Gashaev
2. A.G. Ismailov
3. KH. Tutakov
4. A.Tesaev
5. S. Musaev
6. Kh. Haidarova

Village Duisi (Pankisi Gorge), Georgia
May 10, 2004.