Circassians of Israel, Jordan and Turkey ask Hague Court  to protect Adygeya’s status
13.2.2006
     

“Circassian congress of Israel State”, “Friends of Adygs of Caucasus in Kingdom of Jordan” and “Caucasian forum of Turkish Republic” sent on February 11th their reference to the OSCE with request for rendering assistance to the indigenous people of Adygeya in preservation of their statehood in the form of republic. The press-service of “Circassian congress” of Adygeya informed.

According to the head of the press-service Aliy Berzegov, organizations of the foreign Circassian Diaspora had signed the written by in common text which before sending to Europe had been coordinated with “Circassian congress” of Adygeya. The reference is addressed to the OSCE Supreme commissioner on affairs of national minorities Rolf Ekeus (Hague).

"We, Adygs (Circassians), - it was spoken in the reference, - by malicious will appeared to be in the foreign lands, are one of the indigenous peoples of Northwest Caucasus (historical Circassia). Since the end of the XVIII century the Russian Empire had the colonial war against Circassians which purpose was not only occupation of the territories and conquest of the population, but also utter extermination of Adygeyan (Circassian) ethnos. In 1864 the bloody centenary Russian-Caucasian War ended; as a result of that war over 90 percent of Adygeyan population was physically exterminated or deported out of the limits of the historical territories.

Colonists from central Russia occupied the abandoned lands. Exiling of Circassians proceeded till the beginning of the World War I (1914). The communist party which came to powers after the revolution of 1917, refused to solve the Circassian problem - recognition of their genocide, returning of the deported Adygs (Circassians) to their historical territories. Communists just decided to give them autonomies.

The one Circassian ethnos was shattered into 4 national formations; subsequently in 1945 Shapsug national area was liquidated while the Shapsugs’ opinion thus hadn’t been considered at all.

In 1991 Russian Federation declared about its democratic and legal way of development. Adygeya proclaimed itself republic and signed the federal contract in 1992. For us, Adygs (Circassians) - disseminated worldwide without any opportunity to develop our culture, our language - declaration of Adygeya Republic was the greatest event, giving us a hope for revival of our people.

However during the last years Russia goes on the way of reanimation of its imperial thinking and the way of life; the right for existence of the whole people was put under doubt again. In Adygeya Republic they started associating of some nationalist forces aimed on republic’s liquidation; they sound appeals to purchasing and using of arm weapon against Adygs. All attempts of liquidation of Adygeya Republic go counter with the Charter of the United Nations, numerous international-legal documents where the principle of equality and self-determination of peoples are affirmed. Such attempts mean returning to the genocide against Adygeyan (Circassian) ethnos. Stating this and realizing our participation in the destiny of Adygeyan (Circassian) nation, we cannot stay away from the events happened in our historical Native land.

Addressing to You, we ask You to interfere in the situation around Adygeya immediately for preservation of the republic and to direct there a special commission for analysis and objective estimation of the facts stated above. It would be desirable, if OSCE representatives took under their control and settled down the situation developing now in republic on principles of the international law.”

Note: similar reference signed by “Circassian congress” of Adygeya and Karachaevo-Circassia, “Adyghe Khase” of Adygeya, Kabardino-Balkarian public legal expert center, the Independent socially-research center of Kabardino-Balkaria, had been sent on January 29th to the OSCE Warsaw department on democratic institutes and human rights and addressed to ODIHR ambassador Christian Strohal.

Caucasus Times

http://www.adygeanatpress.net/stat_e.php?id=1474