Kadyrov case in Austria
21 February 2011 Ramzan Kadyrov officially resumed office in 2007 as head of the Russian
republic Chechnya in North Caucasus. The Republic suffers from two armed
conflicts against Russia, in which several thousand people were killed and
numerous cities and villages were destroyed. The reconstruction processes under
Kadyrov, however, his security forces and special units promote a constant
threat and climate of fear among the local population. There is no opposition
within the Republic and any attempts of opposition abroad are being persecuted.
Several incidents of murder and abductions are reported as well as torture
including acts by Kadyrov personally. The climate of fear and total impunity
for regime forces reins the Republic and is spreading to neighbouring regions.
On 13 June 2008, Austrian lawyers filed a complaint on behalf of ECCHR against Ramzan Kadyrov on charges of torture and attempted duress before the Austrian prosecutor's office. Seven months later, on 13 January 2009, the key witness, Umar Israilov, was shot dead in the streets of Vienna. In a final report released by the Austrian State Offices of Domestic Security and Counter-Terrorism, Ramzan Kadyrov is accused of inciting the murder. Israilov, considered as persecuted political refugee in Austria since summer 2007, had previously also served as a key witness in an application before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). This application concerned, among other crimes, cases of torture that Israilov himself had suffered in Chechnya.
The trial in the case of the murder of Umar Israilov ended in June 2011 with the convictions of three suspects. This decision is now final. The Austrian public prosecutor is continuing investigations into the persons who orchestrated the crime from behind the scenes, most of whom are living in Chechnya. Over the course of the proceedings, ECCHR provided support to Israilov family lawyer Nadja Lorenz and was also represented as a joint plaintiff. Dick Marty was one of those appearing as expert witnesses on Chechnya. ECCHR published numerous reports on the progress of the trial, as well as background reports on various aspects of the case.
On 13 June 2008, Austrian lawyers filed a complaint on behalf of ECCHR against Ramzan Kadyrov on charges of torture and attempted duress before the Austrian prosecutor's office. Seven months later, on 13 January 2009, the key witness, Umar Israilov, was shot dead in the streets of Vienna. In a final report released by the Austrian State Offices of Domestic Security and Counter-Terrorism, Ramzan Kadyrov is accused of inciting the murder. Israilov, considered as persecuted political refugee in Austria since summer 2007, had previously also served as a key witness in an application before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). This application concerned, among other crimes, cases of torture that Israilov himself had suffered in Chechnya.
The trial in the case of the murder of Umar Israilov ended in June 2011 with the convictions of three suspects. This decision is now final. The Austrian public prosecutor is continuing investigations into the persons who orchestrated the crime from behind the scenes, most of whom are living in Chechnya. Over the course of the proceedings, ECCHR provided support to Israilov family lawyer Nadja Lorenz and was also represented as a joint plaintiff. Dick Marty was one of those appearing as expert witnesses on Chechnya. ECCHR published numerous reports on the progress of the trial, as well as background reports on various aspects of the case.