Islamic News

George Littell: In Grozny is still terror –

interview with American writer Jonathan Littellom who worked during the two Chechen wars of the republic in the French humanitarian organization, and has recently again been in Chechnya, published a French newspaper «Nouvel Observateur». For external normalization, he saw fear, torture and enslavement of women.

Nouvel Observateur – Why did you write a book about Chechnya? And why now?

Jonathan Littell (Jonathan Littell). – I have worked in Chechnya, the humanitarian initiative against Hunger (Action contre la Faim) during the first and second war, until the beginning of 2001, the last three years, after the establishment of pro-regime in Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, I have heard many conflicting rumors. They said that the situation had improved, that the restoration of the republic is moving. Even my Chechen friends fairly positive view of Ramzan Kadyrov. Familiar fighters hiding in Europe, began to return to Chechnya. I was interested to see what is happening there.

N. O. – You have come to Grozny and saw the city almost without a trace of the war, where the mind is a normal life …

D. Littell: – I saw the external normalization. For ten years, Grozny became Stalingrad in 1945 in a fully restored city. At first glance, it is very impressive. Then came the second, third impression. This is a very complicated situation. Implicit reigns there, hidden terror. People are very afraid. But they have little to say to you, even if it is your very close friends.

N. O. – Nevertheless, this terror feel like?

D. Littell: – I did not feel it. But he is present. The proof is the fact that 2 months after I had been there, was killed by Natalia Estemirova (very well known in Chechnya, the representative of Memorial, Russia’s leading human rights organization). I talked with people who are not connected with protection of human rights and who had no special reason to worry. They mainly complained about corruption. I still have friends in medicine. If for and received regularly in the operating torture victims, I am about this, they do not tell. It is always difficult to understand what really think the Chechens.

N. O. – Is the restoration of the republic also some screen?

D. Littell: – There were actually carried out the restoration of infrastructure and housing. Houses have been massively rebuilt – mainly in Grozny, but some even in the villages. Noticed a large progress in the organization of basic services – schools, hospitals, clinics, as well as roads, electricity and gas networks. However, in Chechnya, there was no real economic production activities. Not been restored, no plant. To work, you must either have a job in government, or engage in some craft. This wine is not just of Ramzan Kadyrov. I think that Russia wants in Chechnya is still no solid economic foundation to keep it, depending on the corrupt system, access to which Moscow could cut off at any time.

N. O. – Corruption is obvious?

D. Littell: – The system where the damaging, even though some of the money is redistributed. It operates through a huge financial injections from Moscow, who in place plundered. It is easy to build a hospital for a quarter of the amount specified in the invoice received from Moscow, to arrogate to itself and to redistribute the balance of this amount. During one holiday Kadyrov showered the crowd with a helicopter in denominations of 5 000 rubles (about 100 euros) …

N. O. – His mode of conducting a certain policy?

D. Littell: – where there is absolutely insane “new Islamization”, control, absolutely disgusting enslavement of women. But the main thing – terrorism. This terror is manifested in the systematic torture and murder people. And ask not to whom. Until recently, they were making arrests only at night, wearing a black mask on his head. Now they come in broad daylight, with open face, as was the case with Zarema Sadulaeva and her husband. They came to him in office. An employee of law enforcement. Then he left, taking the lives of these two staff members of humanitarian organizations, whose bodies found the next day in their car, and on a man’s body had obvious signs of torture. We know who did it. They do not even hiding. No more hiding. Since I finished writing my book, the pressure on the staff of Memorial intensified. They are constantly threatened them go armed men, who all night standing at the door of their apartment and say: “Go, or you’ll kill me!”. They have no other choice but to leave Chechnya. But everybody knows that, having no source of information in the field, defenders can not do anything.

NO-How would you explain the worsening situation in recent times?

D. Littell: – In early July, an approximate Ramzan Kadyrov openly threatened NGOs and human rights organizations. Since then, these threats were carried out. Ramzan Kadyrov, who is never too far from guessing, could not imagine what the reaction will cause the murder of Natalya Estemirova. His own reaction to the general indignation was a tightening position. Because, despite promises of Russia to conduct an active and serious investigation of these murders, nothing was done. Chechen authorities have taken this as a “green light”, a sign that from now on you can get rid of all those who hinder them, to anyone without having to account. If Moscow human rights activists still leave some space for action that President Dmitry Medvedev could submit its program mikroliberalizatsii, then in Chechnya held cleaning. I returned to Grozny, assuming that there are no any improvements, even if not all of it perfectly. But the murder of Natalya Estemirova forced to take a different look at the situation. Under Stalin, too, built roads and factories, and at this time of night people disappear …

N. O. – of whether Ramzan Kadyrov has popular support?

D. Littell: – In that day, when Moscow turns its back on Ramzan Kadyrov, 80% of people who are now beside him, suddenly disappear, dissolve in space. Who joined his former fighters and all those who hold with him the money or the fear of losing position, withdraw from him. Will two or three hundred loyal men ready for him to fight. However, there is a big difference between the temptation to part with Kadyrov and a desire to join the Islamist resistance. Resistance to Islam so, atrophied, which did not enjoy the support we’ve gotten the nationalist struggle in the 1990’s. Even though many people still dream of independence: they say that hoard power for the day when again have the opportunity to fight.

N. O. – Why is Moscow Chechen regime can play the Islamic card, and you’re talking about a fairly radical Islam?

D. Littell: – This is historically Russia’s policy in the Muslim region: play the fundamentalist card to confront the supporters of progress and the modernizers. Russian do not see any danger in the reconstruction field rigoristskogo Islam, if he is loyal to the central government. Fundamentalism, which imposes Kadyrov, is aimed at neutralizing the Islamic resistance, which became Salafist and Wahhabi. Russian was not interested in support of a progressive leader in the North Caucasus, economic development or the rights of women. The only thing they want is to maintain political and military control over these regions.

N. O. – but by giving de-facto independence regime Kadyrov does not risk a Russia, by contrast, lose Chechnya?

D. Littell: – This is extremely ambiguous. There are neither winning nor losing, just uncertainty. Moscow played a classic game, using the extremists in order to neutralize and then destroy the moderate separatist course. Thus, we are in a situation of polarization, when there is a civil war between the Chechens. Of course, now it is about not very strongly pronounced conflict, which is controllable from the Russian side. But the problem extends to Ingushetia and Dagestan (Russia’s Muslim republics). Russian having trouble in Chechnya, but lost his footing in the neighboring regions. They operate by feel, not having long-term strategy. Their policy on the management of the North Caucasus remains an equally catastrophic.

Jonathan Littella just published a book “Chechnya. Year III “(« Tchétchénie an III »).

” Voice of Russia “