From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng  (Original Message)    Sent: 8/16/2005 9:32 AM
August, 16, 2005

"I am Chikotilo"

One of the readers of "Caucasus-Center" has sent in editorial office a material about a famous Russian concentration camp "Chernokozovo", which was published by the journalist from Saint Petersburg Vladimir Kriviretski in the Parisian newspaper "Russian idea". Edition of "Caucasus-Center" publishes a material with small abridgment.

More terrible than war

One Chechen mathematics teacher in Grozno has told me: "All wars come to an end some day, even centenary ones".

This war will be terminated also. But its participants and witnesses will stay on the earth. And everyone with horror will recollect unprecedented cruelty of this second Chechen campaign. The interview taken in one village of the Chechen Republic from the former prisoner of Chernokozovo - the evidence of that. But the cruelty of Chechens on this war and the cruelty of warriors " it not two different cruelties...

-Indeed the wars on battlefields sooner or later come to an end. But in the souls they stay forever. And now the people of these should be rescued somehow. Otherwise the hatred which has been saved up for years due to these wars, sooner or later bursts out again, appears new hordes of voluntary supervisors, and with a rough stream they rush off in an old crease - to build the next Chernokozov and zindans.

- Muslim, tell, how all was. Everything, that you can...

" It was in January (2001) I went to Urus-Martanovski area in the village Gekhi-Chu to see my nephew. This time we held a joy: the daughter of mine was born. Though it was the war, but the child - is the celebration for everyone. My documents were in the order, and I did not worry about anything. But on a block we were detained. we were told, that they would simply check up, would take our data in the computer and inspect whether we were in search or not. I agreed.

I did not have reasons to be afraid. But, when we were about to drive out from Gekhi, at the block they demostratively had torn my passport and accused me of not having the documents.

At first I was taken to a military commandant's office of Urus-Martanovsk area, it is situated in a building of boarding school. On the second day I was called by the investigator. He did not introduce himself (they absolutely do not have a habit to be introduced) and charged me that I was at war and participated in the act of terrorism in Budenovsk and in Pervomaisk. I told them directly: I had never shot even from the slingshot in my lifes. But they had written to me... not exactly had written... There were documents with testimonys which as if I had given them, were already ready in advance, it was just necessary to input a surname, a name and the address. And they had presented this report written without my presence, to sign it. But I told them, that I disagree with this composition written against me. That did not happen with me. When I refused to sign this blank, all my misadventures started which had been lasted for the whole six months.

At first got in Chernokozovo. There I learnt that this filtrational camp had one more name " the House of Fear". These stains on my legs - a torture by an electricity, 220 volt. On fingers are fastened clothespins such as wire clamps, all is connected to a plug. It is stuck in the socket... One can bear this torture one day, two days, even week... Month can be sustained. But more - is not possible. And I had signed all papers against me. Not at my will...

- Were all or "selected" people treated in the similar manner only in Chernokozov?

- everyone was... there was 25 persons on five places in the prison cell. The cell was small - 8-9 square meters. no beds, benches. Naked concrete and that's all. In such narrowness I had to stand as in the bus during a rush hour. But it is still bearable: we, Chechens, all brothers, helped each other. But behind the cell the most terrible would begin... Excuse me for the detail, but when it was necessary to go to a toilet we had to go under a drum...

" What does the " under a drum" mean?

" Under a cudgel...

" This is just like Babitski told?

" Yes... Babitski told everything correctly - I was there when Babitski was brought. He was in the next cell. And they told him under my presence: "Listen to me, americashka, you sould not poke your nose in other peoples business, otherwise you will not live for a long time". But Babitski told: " The whole world will learn about it".

-Then he told all about the House of Fear. We were told by one woman correspondent, I had even fallen in love with her at first sight...

" Russian?

- no, Englishwoman... The beautiful girl. She asked, whether it was true in newspapers or not? I answer: "I don't know, what is printed in newspapers... It is already three months I have been sitting in one cell, even they don't take me for a walk... What is written in newspapers? " she says, this way and that, Babitski has given interview to press, and in newspapers have been printed, that here, in Chernokozov, is disorder. I, certainly, did not manage to talk more with this journalist: Nearby is standing the general and repeats, that in newspapers about Chernokozov all is incorrectly printed - he says , here everything is O.K. And this general listened to all, who speaks the truth. Do you understand, that for all, that you now tell to journalists, at night they will simply beat you up to death.

There during the first days of my arrival, six people were killed under my presence. they simply had beaten - to death. People did not endure... But I had time to tell something to this journalist. And the boys, who were unmercifully beaten and ill had been taken out somewhere that day. Only in the the evening they were brought back when the journalists went. We little bit relaxed from all this horror when the commission of the Council of Europe arrived.

-When this commission from Europe had arrived (Muslim suddenly starts to laugh openly) - such comedy was in Chernokozov! That day we were fed not only well, but just like in restaurant! Both mutton, and beef... just the change of dishes of the highest sorts. And before the arrival of this commission was that! The opers kneeled to us and begged to be silent! And the some public prosecutor threatened: "Europeans will leave, and all of you are staying here at any rate".

And it has turned out exactly like that, when the commission had left: it began all again. Every day, every night these tortures, beating - untill you lose the consciousness... I three times used to lose consciousness a day. Europeans had not seen that. Actually the food was brought for five persons in an aluminium small plate. Half-plate for five men during 24 hours. Five litres of water for all cell - 25 people. It during 24 hours. we used to lick off the moisture which was on a concrete wall. And we used to save the water, in order to be it drunk by the most beaten. You see, people in the cell were thrown just without consciousness. Water was necessary for them...

" As far as I know, at that time in Chernokozov worked the Rostov OMON. And are all these tortures - the business of their hands?

" Yes... They had the chief, not so old, 35 years old. He used to say to us that he is - Chikotilo. He gave this nickname to himself...

" In other words this person has voluntary called himself a name of known Rostov serial murderer - disemboweler, who had brutally torn to pieces more than fifty women? Is it so?

- Yes... He in that way introduced to us. Nobody knows his real name. This Chikotilo under my presence, for example, had beaten the woman who was already in her far pregnancy and said to her, that he would kill her only because she was going to give birth to the warrior. He eventually killed her... Or, for example, they used to rush into the cell , drag you out in a corridor and throw you on a floor, and you had to creep along corridor to the door of Chikotilo, and then ask: "may I creep, the citizen chief?" And he does not allow to creep - lay and wait... Those who were elder resisted to this, preferring to die at once. Whereas boys who were 16-18 years old - crept.

There was constant humiliation of human dignity. The chief had told me: "You must cry, that you were born the Chechen!" And I openly in the face said to him, that I was proud of being Chechen. I am proud... Well, because of these words I had to be hanging on a wall many times. There in the cell of tortures they have such machine tool: There is fastened on a wall four dowels for hands and legs. Suspend on them. And as crucified, you are hanging for some hours. And even whole night... And one guy from the village grebenski, specially got his leg broken on three places. He wrote the application that here were tortures... That is why he was punished... They broke his legs and laughed: look, they say, you have got an open fracture. In return others stoped thinking of writing any sorts of applications or complaints. They tried to force another eighteen-year guy to sign the false testimony against himself, but he refused. So, they caught his mother, brought her directly there and started to torture her. He immediately signed, as if he had killed 25 Russian soldier, made explosions. but he was - the yesterday's schoolboy, from the Suburb of Grozno. After that nobody had seen him alive...

Do you know how they cured us? They would ask cheerfully: "What do you hurt? What kind of pill do you want?" and then they would show us - there are cudgels in a corner. On one it is written - dimedrol, on another - analginum, on the third - baralgin... And so on - the names of medicines. And they would decide: they say, to this patient we must prescribe dimedrol. They would take the cudgel with the name of "Dimedrol" on it and beat ... Tring to beat on a head. Probably, because not to remember anything. We here, in Gekhi, had a guy who became absolutely mad after Chernokozov. Now he can not tell anything. he has been silent for some months though there he was for a short time.

- Are those cudgels with which they beat made from rubber?

- Yes. Only with iron tips.

- Muslim, were those who tortured you drunk?

- No, I have not seen vodka with them. They, most likely, are addicted to drugs. They had apperances of mad. As they were insane... As lunatics, savages...

- Did only Chikotilo torture you?

- No! How could he deal even with the most sickly Chechen? There all these operatives physically do not represent anything. They simply feared to approach us one by one. They would gather 12-14 men and would start the tortures.

"Can you try to explain, what has happened with these people? Why are they so cruel?

- This is a kind of entertainment for them...

- One may have a good time with women, enjoy drinking wine, to go on concerts... But to scoff at people, is it really entertainment?

- For them - yes. They are, after all, unfortunate people. That is why they enjoy, just because they are unfortunate... To see, how others are tortured, is just pleasure for them. The more strongly we groaned or shouted from a pain, the more they smiled and even laughed. Giggled at us. I saw: they were very cheerful. They also used to shoot everything on a camera: They used to say that they were going to send these tapes to our relatives - they say , let them watch them at home, how to take revenge on Chechens.

- But how may the person who yesterday still planted flower by the house, put to bed his child, cared about his aged mother, suddenly become the sadist in a short time?

- Well, firstly, it is, certainly, beacuse of drugs. And secondly " they were gaven green light: the government of Russia has named us the bandit nation. And they beat there not because you the warrior, but because, that you are Chechen. Only because of this. And I have already said: it seems to me, that all these people in Russia are very unfortunate. They have created to themselves such life, but to admit to themselves, they simply can't. And here this was Putin who sticked a finger with them: they say that chechens are guilty of it. And so formed the hatred its shape...

-When I was released as the terrorist, maybe on the basis of amnesty, I directly to face told them: "To release me you may release, but can you tell, that I will not take the weapon in my hands? I'll take it ... "

Now the Chernokozovo shows all world that, as if there is all normal there. Maybe, normal. But nobody knows, that in the Chechen Republic there is more than twenty such isolators.

For example here, in Urus-Martan, in a cellar of a former boarding school it is opened SIZO and people hide there. And tomorrow they will come therefrom just others. And even those who have not held a rifle in their hands, even they will take the weapon. And not because that, the Chechen must take a revenge. But because that he is a human and after all this violence and tortures, it is necessary to prove that he is - a person. Otherwise he will not include himself as a person. And in all these SIZO they from the peace people create terrorists. There gets grain-grower, the builder, the teacher, and come out from - terrorist. And now, after that year of war in the Chechen Republic , the terrorists, I think, has increased very much.

And, you know, I do not recollect about my pain. I can not forget those boys - children actually! - who were humiliated and crippled. I can not... People are specially lead up to such condition that they began even more struggling against Russian. And when the led up person begins to take a revenge, they say to the whole world about the threat of terrorism and their successful struggle against it. We wanted the peace, but we were deprived with opportunities to be peace people. Now even children dream to be at war against russians.

-. I all my life was the builder, brought up my children and was against the war. But now, after that I have senn and experienced, I can not live quietly, while these mercenaries dominate over us from Russia . They have created me the terrorist. I hope, that I will shoot to the point...

Vladimir Kriviretski, Saint Petersburg

It is published in " Russian idea ", Paris, N 4375

 

"Caucasus-Center", 16.08.05
http://chechenpress.co.uk/english/news/2005/08/16/05.shtml