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One type of human rights violation that has often occurred over
the past eight months of the conflict has been the failure to provide
safe exit routes allowing civilians to flee the war. On Dec 6 Russians
dropped leaflets from planes flying over Grozny, telling civilians
to leave before Dec 11. Those staying in the city were to be regarded
as terrorists and bandits and destroyed by artillery and air force.
However, there was no clear indication of the safe routes, no transport
and the shelling had not stopped. Moreover, checkpoints along roads
were turned into places where Russian soldiers would abuse Chechen
civilians and force them to pay bribes which severely hindered the
fleeing. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has documented an incident in
which a safe exit route was attacked. On Oct 29 the Russian air
force carried out a rocket attack on a large convoy of refugees
who were using a safe exit route after it was officially announced
that the border with Ingushetia would reopen following a week’s
closure. The casualties are estimated at 50-100, including several
Red Cross workers, two journalists and many women and children.
Summary executions were also carried out. HRW collected evidence
of 4 incidents where Russian soldiers executed numerous Chechen
civilians. HRW has so far confirmed 130 people were killed in this
manner and documented dozens of allegations of further summary executions
in various parts of Chechnya. Typically, these summary executions
occurred after the Russian Ministry of Defence had established control
over a town or village. Riot troops of the Ministry of Interior
would then arrive to carry out so-called mopping-up operations -
but they were often drunk, burning houses, looting and killing local
civilians. One example is a massacre that occurred in the Grozny
district of Novye Aldi on February 5 where 60-80 people were shot
dead.
Chechens have committed abuses as well, with the most serious ones
occurring between the two wars and during the attack on Dagestan.
However, during this war the abuses committed by Chechens have been
generally much less serious than Russian abuses. Chechen fighters
often exposed towns and villages to Russian shelling by not leaving
them despite being asked by village elders. They would also position
themselves in or near areas populated by civilians, often opening
fire from these areas and then quickly retreating, drawing Russian
counterfire there.
The international community has failed to respond appropriately
to violations in Chechnya. This raises serious questions. If Russia
can get away with a brutal war this easily, how bad do things have
to get before the international community is willing to respond
appropriately? Or is the lesson that follows: if a country is as
powerful as Russia, it can murder, torture, detain, rape its own
citizens, and bomb, burn and loot their houses, at will? The international
community must act firmly.
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