Three Chechen Families at Risk for Extradition from Austria
Austrian radio “ORF” has reported that three Chechen families are at risk of extradition from Austria to Russia.
According to the report, three asylum seeking families from the Russian occupied Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, including nine children, applied to Austrian authorities for refugee status. The Austrian authorities and the Asylum Court rejected their applications. After the negative decision, the families refused to return voluntarily. Therefore they are no longer supplied by refugee units. At the moment, they are staying in a place which was provided by the Austrian aid organization “ASPIS”.
Members of the families are afraid to appear in front of cameras because they fear persecution in Chechnya if they are deported. “ASPIS” also asks that the families are allowed to remain in Austria.
Austrian authorities rejected the immediate threat to the families. They explained that the Chechen families filed an application on humanitarian grounds to stay and until the decision is final, they may stay in Austria.
*Text was translated by Waynakh Online and edited by Michael Capobianco