Austrian Court Fines a Chechen Woman
The Kurier, a daily Austrian newspaper, has reported that the Provincial Court in St Pölten has fined a 40 year old Chechen woman for her financial aid to Chechen resistance fighters.
According to the newspaper, a mother of four children, 40-year old Mrs B who works as a cleaner, had sent a total of 7,000 Euros in six Western Union installments via Turkey and Belgium in March and April of 2011. She was accused of providing financial aid to Chechen resistance fighters who stand up against the Russian invaders, but of course the Austrian court choses to use the “terrorist groups” definition.
In her turn, Mrs B defends herself on how she decided to send money. “I was told that I need to transfer some money for women and men who have been killed in combat with the Russian invaders. It’s our human duty. What happens in Chechnya, is a crime. Yes, I sent the money. I don’t know where they have used this money, but I only know one thing, that Chechnya will get its freedom again,” said Mrs B.
Doris Wais-Pfeffer, the judge, explained the final decision as a one year conditional imprisonment not legally binding.
However, Mrs B seemed unimpressed, she announced that she will find another way to send money with a smile on her face.
Austrian authorities think that the money could be used for terrorist attacks within Russia, and to make their Russian friends happy, they find a way to punish a woman’s innocent actions with which there is just a “suspect” on money’s utilisation. In fact, the woman sent the money only to help the Chechen resistance fighters for contributing to the decolonization of her homeland, the Russian occupied Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. There are countless examples of providing financial aid to resistance movements in Europe against the Nazis during World War II. Then, these authorities must give an answer, since 1991, when the Soviet Union abruptly ceased to exist, the West has provided Russia with billions of dollars in aid for their economy, and they still create economic relations with Russia and buy their natural gas and petrol; but some amount of this money was used by Russia during the genocidal war against Chechen civilians. So who will judge these people who decided to send money to Russia or created economic relations with them despite the unlawful repression in Russia, the crimes against humanity and the genocide in the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria which were committed by Russian army?
*Text was written by Waynakh Online and edited by Michael Capobianco