KADYROV ACCUSED OF INCITING MURDER IN AUSTRIA

FINAL REPORT NAMES THE CHECHEN PRESIDENT AS SUSPECT

Ramzan Kadyrov, President of Chechnya, a constituent republic of Russia, has been accused of inciting the murder of Chechen exile Umar Israilov in a final report released by the Austrian State Offices of Domestic Security and Counter-Terrorism. Israilov was shot dead in broad daylight in Vienna on 13 January 2009. Prior to his murder, Israilov had agreed to give evidence in a trial before the European Court and in proceedings taken against Kadyrov in Austria. These trials concerned, among other crimes, cases of torture that Israilov himself had suffered in Chechnya. With the assistance of Israilov's witness statements, charges were filed by ECCHR in Vienna, June 2008.

COMPLAINT AGAINST AUSTRIA IN KADYROV CASE

AUSTRIA FAILS TO INVESTIGATE TORTURE ALLEGATIONS

The European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, on June 25, 2009, submitted a formal communication to the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Prof. Manfred Nowak. In the communication, ECCHR accuses Austria of violating its duties under the Convention Against Torture by failing to investigate and act on accusations of torture leveled against President Kadyrov of the Russian Republic of Chechnya, who visited Austria in June of 2008.

CRIMINAL COMPLAINT AGAINST KADYROV

ECCHR FILED A COMPLAINT AGAINST THE CHECHEN PRESIDENT RAMZAN KADYROV ON CHARGES OF TORTURE

On 13 June 2008, Austrian lawyers on behalf of ECCHR filed a complaint against the Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov on charges of torture and attempted duress. The chief witness, Umar Israilov, was shot dead in the streets of Vienna on 13 January 2009. The circumstances of the event show that Israilov was the victim of a politically-influenced contract murder. Israilov, considered a persecuted political refugee in Austria, had previously served as a chief witness in a court proceeding against Russia, held before the European Court of Human Rights (EGMR) in Strasbourg.