Turkey's refusal strands Chechen commander at Saudi airport

Wednesday, 30 September 2009 16:53

World Bulletin / News Desk

The Chechen commander who were newly given asylum by Turkey, is waiting
for help at Jeddah airport in fear of being deported to Russia.

Returning from Umrah visit to Turkey, Chechen commander Musa Kaimov
(35), was not allowed entry and sent back to Saudi Arabia by the order
of the Interior Ministry, Turkish Cihan news agency reported.

Since his visa expired, he was not taken to Saudi Arabia as well, the
Chechen commander is waiting for a helping hand, in fear of being
extradited to Russia at the Jeddah airport.

After Russia assault, Musa Kaimov sought refuge in Turkey five years ago.

Early September, as soon as he received his residence permit in Turkey,
Kaimov went to the holy land for Umrah, leaving his wife and children.
Although he did not have any problems at the Ataturk airport passport
control point during checkout process, the Chechen commander faced an
entry barrier when he wanted to return to Turkey, after a month long
visit to Saudi Arabia.

The agency said the commander was not allowed to enter the country by
the "instructions received", with no specified reasons, from the
Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Chechen citizen was sent back to Jeddah by the same plane he came to
Turkey with. Kaimov's baggages and Zemzem water was delivered to his family.

Reaching his relatives in Turkey by his cell phone, the commander said
he wanted to go to Azerbaijan or Egypt, if he was not able to come back
to Turkey, and extradition to Russia would mean "death to him".

After hearing Turkey's refusal, his wife Mared Kaimov, and children
8-month Omar, Nural (5) and Ibrahim (3) ran to the Ataturk Airport.

Imkander Chairman Nuray Canan Bezirgan and another Chechen commander,
who did tear up his passaport in order to avoid extradition to Russia
last year, Imran Abdulazimov Imran came to the airport to support the
family.

"Muslim" Turkey

Mared Kaimov, who is worried about her husband, could not receive any
information from the police.

Stating that they live in Turkey legally, Mared Kaimov asked ''I want to
know why they took my husband away from us.''

She indicated that, in the duration of their stay in Turkey, they never
experience any trouble. ''We are here for 5 years. A month ago we
received a residence permit that was valid until 2009. I do not know if
my husband's entry was cancelled because of Russia's request.

We had sought refuge in Turkey because its people are muslim. I did not
believe such a thing could have been done. I'm in shock. We want my
husband to come to Turkey,'' she requested.

Imkander President Nuray Canan Bezirgan supported the family and claimed
the desicion by the Ministry of Interior is "political". Bezirgan called
authorities to take necessary measures for Musa Kaimov's return to his
family.

"My friends life in danger"

Another Chechen commander, who escaped the deportation to Russia by
Ministry of Home Affairs on December 26, 2008, by tearing up his
passport at the Ataturk Airport, Abdulazimov stressed his concern about
his friend's life.

Abdülazimov said "as happened before in his case, no one says anything
about the reasons behind these desicions" and claimed Kaimov's life was
"in jeopardy" because Saudi Arabia might send him to Russia.

Chechnya had declared independency after the collapse of the Soviet
Union in 1991, but later Russia imposed its control in Muslim state
after two wars in the 1990s. Still low-level resistance continues in
Muslim states controlled by Russia.

Human rights groups have repeatedly accused the authorities of serious
abuses including house burning, extra-judicial killings, torture and
illegal punishment.

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