Paris based non-governmental organization, “Comité Tchétchénie” (Chechen Committee) has published a press-release about a recently deported young Ingush boy, and is urging French authorities to stop sending asylum seekers from North Caucasus back.

According to the press statement, on March 2nd, 2011, French authorities deported a 20-year old Ingush student from Chechnya, Ilias D, sending him from Charles de Gaulle Airport to the Russian Federation. In the last phone call with his family, at around 9:00am, he said that he might not call again, because he was being led onto the plane, under the supervision of two officials from Moscow in civilian clothes. The flight left around 9:30am, and since then, there has been no contact from Ilias, thus his relatives are worried about him.

Indeed, Ilias had appealed for asylum from France, as had his other family members. He was waiting to be called by the National Court of the Right of Asylum (Cour Nationale du Droit d’Asile) to explain his situation, and his fears caused by being victimized by Russian persecution. His words were confirmed by “Memorial”s lawyer. However, French authorities did not take this into consideration, and simply ignored the facts. Ilias was separated from his parents, his siblings and his wife, and sent back to the country he had fled from, because of the threat to his life.

The Chechen Committee reminds France that the situation in Chechnya and the North Caucasus is far from stable. The Committee gave some examples, as well as information from non-governmental human rights organizations, and legal documents from the European Court of Human Rights, or PACE.

The Committee pointed out sending back a Chechen, Ingush, or other native of the North Caucasus, to the Russian Federation may create serious threats to their safety.

The Chechen Committee reminds France that people from the North Caucasus must not be deported to the Russian Federation, where their life and freedom may be threatened, and where they may be exposed to inhumane or degrading treatment, in accordance with Article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

*Text was translated by Waynakh Online and edited by Michael Capobianco