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Situation Is Artificially Aggravated in Order To Force Out Refugees from the Pankisi Gorge

March 16, 2007

On March 8 2007 at night, Chechen refugee Hasan Shakhbulatov, who resided in the village of Jokholo in the Pankisi Gorge, was murdered in unidentified circumstances. The neighbors last saw him at 8:30 PM on March 8 in the village mosque. He was praying there. On March 9 at 11:00 AM, a refugee woman found his body in the yard of the mosque. The dead person had three bullet lodges in his head and injuries on the body.

On the same day, law enforcers spread unofficial information that the accident was resulted form the religious controversy between so-called Vahabists and traditional Muslims. The information was broadcast on TV too.

Besides that, on March 12 one Chechen refugee, who lived in Tbilisi, disappeared under strange circumstances. Only his car, Mercedes has been found until now.

“Human Rights Center” investigated the murder of Hasan Shakhbulatov. The Chechen refugees expressed their opinion regarding the accident and they said the murder was provoked by interested parties. Those parties are Georgian law enforcers and some people who follow Russian orders. In order to persuade the Chechen refugees in Pankisi Gorge to return to Chechnya, they create the extremely dangerous situation for them in the area. According to refugees, recent rumors about religious controversy serve the purpose as well. 

Chechen refugees said in their conversation with the Human Rights Center that they are going to hold demonstration to protest law enforcers’ attacks on them, illegal and discriminating activities against them. The demonstration will be held in the village of Duisi in the Pankisi Gorge.

Human Rights Center concerns about the accidents that took place in the gorge to aggravate the situation in the area artificially. We demand the law enforcers to stop illegal activities against Chechen refugees and not to equal them with criminals and terrorists. The center also demands the Georgian government to follow the demands and recommendations of the international organizations regarding the refugee issues. In parallel to it, we urge the corresponding bodies and mass media to react on the situation.

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

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