Alev Korun, the Austrian Green Party’s Human Rights Officer, criticized the Austrian government’s policy of blind deportation of Chechen asylum seekers.

“It’s a fact that persecution and repression against opponents are still on the agenda of the current regime in Chechnya. Just this week, the Higher Regional Court in Vienna confirmed the sentences in the case of Umar Israilov, who was a refugee in Austria that was killed by a confidant of Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov. He had a case against Kadyrov related to charges of torture in front of the European Court of Human Rights; thus, they tried to kidnap and forcibly return him to Chechnya, and when they could not accomplish this, he was killed. If these excesses of persecution and violence against the regime’s opponents could happen in the middle of Austria, what could happen in Chechnya?” asked Korun.

“I urge against the deportation of vulnerable people who will be pushed back to Chechnya with the claims that the human rights situation there has improved demonstrably and a peaceful life awaits opponents of the regime. It means that these people will face inhumane treatment or even be put to death,” said Korun.

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