Baku/Agency Caucasus – Yusuf Nagayev, who was forced by the police to leave his home on April 27 in Azerbaijan, where the Chechen refugees often disappear for one reason or another, was finally traced to an address.
Nagayev was tracked as a result of efforts by the Azerbaijani Council of Chechen Refugees down in the Yasamalski provisional detention center to be restituted to Russia.
Nagayev, 40, is a father of 3 children. He had to leave, along with his two brothers, his country in 2002 because he refused to cooperate with Russians while his country was under occupation. While he was in Azerbaijan, he was given protection as well as a refugee status by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR. Members of the Council of Chechen Refugees went on the streets and staged a demonstration outside the Baku office of the UNHCR because they demanded that Nagayev should be traced as soon as possible. Also, Asayev Ali, who represents in Azerbaijan the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, held talks with Azerbaijan officials. The UNHCR officials eventually told the Council of Chechen refugees that Nagayev was put under police arrest because Russia demanded his extradition from Azerbaijan and was kept temporarily in a detention center. The Council of Chechen Refugees then issued a call, both domestic and foreign, to stop Nagayev from being extradited, or he would possibly be tortured and even perhaps would fall victim to an extra-judicial killing.
While Nagayev’s brothers Nagayev Badrdin and Nagayev Hamzat also managed to leave Chechnya when they refused to cooperate with Russians, Nagayev Sidik, the third brother, was tortured to death after he was kidnapped. ÖZ/FT
