STATEMENT
FROM THE INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

Agenda Item 14
58th Session of the Commission on Human Rights
24 April, 2002

Thank you, Mr. Chairman,

I am speaking on behalf of the International League for Human Rights and Moscow Helsinki Group and want to address the problem of discrimination of migrants-members of ethnic minorities in the Russian Federation.

Although the Russian Federation ratified all the major international treaties, including ICERD, and Russian Constitution and federal legislation prohibit discrimination on any grounds, the Russian state has not been effectively preventing the subjects of the federation from passing laws and administrative acts of discriminatory nature. Even a graver problem is racial profiling and discriminatory law-enforcement practices that are widespread across the country, with Krasnodar region being in the avant-garde of violators.

The most discriminated group in Krasnodar region is Meskhetian Turks (who fled to the region from the former Soviet Central Asia in 1989-91). Other migrant groups subject to direct discrimination are Armenians, Azeri, Kurds, Hemshins, Georgians, refugees from Abkhasia. In the last few years, the situation of such groups has become particularly dire in the region.

As the MEMORIAL Human Rights Center stated, "in the winter of 2001/2002, the authorities in the Krasnodar region employed hunger as the main tool of squeezing the Turks out of the region. The district authorities actually impose ban for the Turks on leasing land from local collective farms or private persons and all the leases with the Turks were cancelled for. 2002. Employment and trade at local bazaars are also prohibited for the Meskhetians. … The Turks have been actually denied access to justice. ... They are subjected to massive passport checks, harassment and violent actions of the police and paramilitary units of the 'Cossacks'; they are fined for absence of registration of residence, which they were denied.

Krasnodar Regional Legislative Assembly has adopted the new Decree # 1363 of 20 February 2002 'On the Additional Measures to Decrease Tensions in Inter-ethnic Relations in the Areas of Compact Settlement of Meskhetian Turks Temporarily Residing on the Territory of Krasnodar Region', which confirmed a special status of the Turks as such. Another Decree # 1381-P of 27 March 2002 'On the Measures to Strengthen State Control over Migration and on Administrative Eviction of the Persons Illegally Staying on the Territory of the Krasnodar Region' envisages deportation of persons without local residence registration."

On April 13 this year, two Kurd families were actually deported under escort to the neighboring Rostov region.

Regional and local media are overflowing with blatant hate speech against "migrants" and "non-traditional ethnic groups", especially Meskhetian Turks.

Statelessness in the case of Meskhetian Turks, who have not been recognized as Russian nationals in direct violation of the law, and lack of registration in place of residence for all the vulnerable groups prevents them from enjoying such core rights as the right to health, the right to education, the rights to labor, etc. Frequently, children born to migrants, particularly to Meskhetian Turks, are not issued with birth certificates, which deprive them of access to medical facilities, kindergartens and schools.

In 1998, a Joint Commission of the OSCE and the UN High Commissioner on Refugees visited the region and the Russian authorities promised to improve the situation of Meskhetian Turks. However, no improvement has been detected since.

Moreover, on 18 March 2002, Krasnodar Governor Alexander Tkachev openly promised to create 'unbearable conditions' for 'illegal migrants' and to launch their organized expulsion. He also emphasized that his position has full support of the Russian President. The federal authorities have not reacted either to this statement or to the regional government's unlawful actions.

We ask the Commission to call upon Russian government to adhere to its international commitments in connection with treatment of migrants and ethnic minorities and to demand from the Russian authorities that violated rights of the Meskhetians and other victimized migrant groups be redressed and criminal proceedings against the perpetrators be initiated.