Yesterday Egypt deported 4 Chechens to Russia and 2 more Chechens are under threat of deportation to Russia. The well known human rights activists Nadezhda Banchik and Victoria Poupka addressed to Barack Obama and Egyptian authorities for stopping  to extradition of Chechens.

The message of Nadezhda Banchik and Victoria Poupka:

4 Chechens were deported from Egypt and were successfully met in the airport. However, two of them, Abdullaev Maskhud (the son of the field commander!) and Azimov Ahmad, were separeted from the group and brought to the Cairo airport separately. While the plane still stood on the ground, they were told that they “came too late”. In the airport they for the last time connected with Abdullaev’s mother, Satsita. They told that they were in the airport, but their papers were not returned to them. After that they were took in unknown direction. Even University students cannot find out their whereabouts.

We, Nadezhda Banchik and Victoria Poupko, addressed President Obama. I addressed also Egyptian authorities.

The letters to Barack Obama, President of US:

Dear President Obama,

We appeal to you with an extremely urgent matter.

Less than two weeks ago, at Cairo State University Al-Ashar, you gave a very friendly address to the Muslims of Arab countries and other parts of the world, (unfortunately not mentioning the Muslims of Chechnya). The Russian KGB-agents step on your feet even here. Two days ago, we got information that the University Al-Ashar let its students from the North Caucasus  to be extradited to Russia. About 100 of students, from the North Caucasus, with more than a half being Chechens, were arrested night of May 27 by Egyptian Special Police Service (Amna Dovla) under the “reason” of cheking their passport status. The Chechens came from Republic of Azerbaijan, where they had refugee status granted by UNHCR in Azerbaijan. They fled from Russian bombs and prosecution during and after the second Chechen war. They never took part in any resistance or fought against the Russians: they are too young. And now Egypt ,- under the big pressure and likely under the huge bribe (as it is now international Russian practice to lobbying countries in its favor),- is ready to send these youths to their most cruel enemies, from whom they fled to Azerbaijan.
Their guilt for the Kremlin is that they are Chechens and they wish to study.

Before your coming to Egypt the Russian media repeatedly broadcasted a tail about how bad our “Russian” students feel in Egypt; and how Egyptian police make raids and “cleansing”. So, the Russian state media, as always, call black white and white black.

During the both Chechen wars (1994-1996 and 1999-now), more than 250,000 of Chechen Civilians were killed, tens of thousand remained heavily disabled and about hundred of thousand fled. They are now under hunt by the Kremlin KGB together with its puppet Government of Chechnya, Kadyrov in the top.

We will send by postal mail a few examples of what the fate of extradited to Russia Chechens is: murdering, poisoning, tortures, jail with 20-25-year- sentences, labor camps. -colonies, – in Siberia etc. It means that the smaller GULAG came again to function in Russia.

We, many of us current or previously professors of American Universities, – urge you, Mr. President, to personally intervene into the matter and express your concernto the Egypt and Russian authorities in order to save those youths.

Here are their names:

Abdullaev Masud Supyanovich, 1986, refugee status  (in Baku) # 3237
Akhmadov Usama Khamzatovich, 1981, refugee status # 5440
Mustapaeva, Zina,, status not known
Tarzaeva Zalina, refugee status # 5517
Azimov Akhmad, status not known
Adikhadjiev Mohammad-Amin, status not known

It is the second group of Chechens to be extradited to Russia. The first one, consisted from four youths, was secretly extradited on June 9. But the information about the first group came from a man who has purposely taken the same flight. Those four were brought from the military prison  in handcuffs. Nobody was allowed to approach them, leaving alone the question of lawyers. In Moscow, they were accepted by numerous KGB-agents, MVD-officers (Ministry of Intern Affaires) and other special police units. Many representatives of Kadyrov Government and Police forces  came from Chechnya especially for this occasion. Due to an article by J.Chivers in New York Times of Februaryi 1, 2009, most Americans must know how these authorities and Kadyrov personally torture prisoners in Chechen prisons.

We urge you again to contact Al-Ashar University and Egyptian authorities to stop the extradition, if not too late  The time came to stop Russia’s genocide of Chechens.

We are sending by postal mail some examples of the fates of Chechens extradited to Russia or being detained in Russian and Chechen prisons.

With great respect and hope.

Dr.Victoria Poupko.
President of the Massachusetts Branch of American Association of Jews from former Soviet Union

Nadezhda Banchik

***

Dear President Obama,

I appeal to you with an extremely urgent matter.

Less than two weeks ago, at Cairo State University Al-Ashar, you gave a great address to the Muslims of Arab countries and other parts of the world. Unfortunately you did not mention the Muslims of Chechnya who were being near-exterminated in extremely brutal war since 1994 when Russian troops crashed the Chechen independent state proclaimed during the break-up of the Soviet Union. This war created an “excuse” and provided a ground for the ex-KGB’s grasp of power in Russia.

Two days ago, we got information that the Egyptian authorities extradited students from this University, Al-Ashar, who came to study there from the North Caucasus to be extradited to Russia. About 100 of students, most from the North Caucasus were arrested night of May 27 by Egyptian special police service Amna Dovla under the “pretext” of checking their passport status. More than a half were Chechens.They came from Republic of Azerbaijan, where they had refugee status granted by UNHCR in Azerbaijan. They fled from Russian bombs and prosecution during and after the second Chechen war. They never took part in any resistance or fight against the Russians; most of them were too young when the war started. And now Egypt ,- under the big pressure and likely under the huge bribe (as it is now Russian practice to lobbying countries in its favor) mercilessly sent these youths to their most furious enemies, from whom they fled to Azerbaijan. Their “guilt” for Russians is that they are Chechens and wish to study, not to bear arms. Before your coming to Egypt the Russian media repeatedly broadcasted a tale about how bad our “Russian” students are treated in Egypt and Egyptian police make raids and “cleansing”, i.e. the Russians, as always, call black white and white black.

On June 17, 2008, four of six arrested students successfully landed in Moscow and were met in the airport by their relatives. However, mother of one of them, Satsita Abdullaeva, says that two of them, Abdullaev Maskhud (born 1986, refugee status 3237) and Azimov Ahmad, were separated from the whole group reportedly by Egyptian secret forces. They were brought to the Egyptian airport separately from the others in the group. While the plane stood yet on the ground they were told that they “were late to the flight”.

Then, the two students were took in unknown direction. Their fate is completely unknown. Even student in the University Al Ashar aren’t able to find out their whereabouts.

One of them, Abdullaev Maskhud, is a son of a Chechen field commander. However, Maskhud lived in Azerbaijan since 2000, he was granted refugee status and never participated in the armed conflict. He wanted to study, not struggle. Another Chechen man, Timur Zarmaev, who was granted refugee status in the U.S., told me that he knows Maskhud personally. Timur described him as very honest and intellectual, unwilling to shed blood.

Dear President,

As a member of Amnesty International I urge you to employ all your influence on the Egyptian authorities to protect these Chechen youths from the direct threat for their lives in case they would be forcibly and secretly handed over to Russia. If they are guilty in any breach of law (that seems unlikely) they can be prosecuted in Egypt, not in Russia! By the way, the extradition means grave violation of the Geneva Convention for Protecting Unarmed population during the armed conflicts.

Sincerely,

Nadezhda Banchik