Diaspora members deny participation of Chechens from Austria in events in Ukraine

Members of the Chechen Diaspora in Austria are sceptical about the information about the alleged participation of the Chechens living in Europe in Ukrainian hostilities. The Ukrainian authorities are supported by nationalists from Sweden, France and Italy, but not by Caucasians, said Orhan Cemal, a correspondent of the Forbes Magazine.

On September 5, the Austrian edition Die Presse published an interview with Magomed Shamaev, named in the article as "one of the leaders of the Chechen Diaspora in Austria".

According to Shamaev, some of the Chechens living in Austria were fighting on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Donbas. Among the reasons of why Chechens go to Ukraine, he named "the revenge on Putin and Kadyrov."

Die Presse also asserts that the information about the intention of European Chechens to fight in Ukraine was confirmed by Hussein Iskhanov, the representative of the Democratic Association of Chechens in Austria and an ex-MP of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.

Gisaev: General Isa Munaev leads the volunteer movement

Among the Chechen refugees living in Europe, there is no one to support the position of the Russian party in the events in Ukraine, said Akhmed Gisaev, a lawyer and a rights defender, an employee of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and a former employee of the HRC "Memorial" in Grozny, who is now living in Norway.

"I have no doubts that Chechens are fighting for Ukraine in the conflict. There are many statements on this occasion, but I have only general information. The volunteers' movement is lead by General Isa Munaev (under Aslan Maskhadov, he was the Interior Minister and the Military Commandant of Grozny, now he heads the movement "Free Caucasus", – note of the "Caucasian Knot"). The Chechens (living in Europe) support Ukrainians by one hundred percent; and I know nobody to support Russia, regardless of what ideology they adhere to – of the 'Ichkeria' or of the 'Imarat'," Akhmed Gisaev told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

He believes that there are no grounds to compare the "striving of residents of south-east of Ukraine to independence with the striving for restoration of Chechnya's independence in 1991."

"We must not forget that in 1991 the Chechen people held a referendum to define their status, and presidential and parliamentary elections in accordance with all recognized international standards," said Akhmed Gisaev.

Refugee: there are different opinions within Diaspora

The members of the North-Caucasian Diaspora, living in Austria, know nothing about the participation of natives of Chechnya in the warfare in Ukraine, a native of Dagestan living in Europe and named Arslan told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"Obviously, some individual cases are meant, but we can't speak about any mass phenomenon. Local media give minimum footage, except for a few posts on the Austrian radio. Here, people are more concerned and write about the ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, – note of the "Caucasian Knot"). I know nobody who would go to Kiev as a volunteer. And even if so, most likely, they won't disclose it, knowing that many of them have relatives in Chechnya and elsewhere in Russia and fearing for their lives," said Arslan.

The Diaspora has no unified structure; there are differences in beliefs; therefore, it is safe to speak only about the moral support of Kiev by the Chechens living in Austria, said a former resident of one of the North-Caucasian republics, who was granted political asylum in Austria.

"The statements of Iskhanov or Shamaev can hardly reflect the views of all the Chechens living in Austria and, moreover, in Europe. Iskhanov is a former MP of Ichkeria; and it's difficult to say what his role in the Diaspora is; however, there is no unified structure here. Rather, his position may reflect the common views of former political associates, such as Akhmed Zakaev. However, I haven't heard anything about someone leaving for the war in Ukraine," the source told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The refugee also believes that it is impossible to compare "those who go to the war in Syria with those who can be hypothetically willing to support the ATO (antiterrorist operation) on the side of Kiev."

"Syria can't be compared with Ukraine: as to Syria, only ideologically minded people go there; prior to do so, they have long meetings in mosques. Besides, they go to Syria not to empty places, but to their allies who have created due conditions there. In the case of Ukraine, the support is, as a rule, through the TV-set, since nobody is eager to go to Ukraine to die," concluded the source.

Diaspora member: I haven't heard anyone going to Ukraine

The Vainakh Public Council of Austria is trying to unite the natives of Chechnya living in the country, said a member of the Council.

"Our goal in Europe is to survive as a nation, which was one of the main causes to create the Vainakh Public Council, aiming to unite the Chechen society here, in Austria, in order to solve the problems that we face here, beyond politics. Too many different ideologies – some of them are 'Ichkerians', others support the 'Imarat' or Kadyrov, while some people don't care at all; and we try to unite them all out of politics. Our Council is not political. There are political organizations here, such as human rights defenders, the 'Chechen Society of Democratic Austria', headed by Visit Ibragimov. They are engaged in political activity," a member of the Vainakh Public Council in Austria told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent on condition of anonymity.

The position, voiced by Magomed Shamaev in the Austrian press "could find support among some part of the Chechen society," but "such cases can be only individual," said a representative of the Chechen Diaspora in Austria.

"Magomed Shamaev is an activist of the Human Rights Centre 'Peace and Human Rights', which is headed in Strasbourg by Said-Emin Ibragimov. Hussein Iskhanov is a former MP of Ichkeria. Most people here believe that Russia is illegally seizing the territory. It's an independent state; they all write about it in the press, but I haven't heard that someone went to Ukraine. The appeal was from Isa Munaev, from Denmark, where he said about preparation of a peacekeeping battalion; but we don't know that someone went there," said the source.

Cemal: I saw no Caucasians on the Ukrainian side

The information about the participation of Chechens in Ukrainian events on the side of Kiev is not confirmed, said Orhan Cemal, a correspondent of the Forbes Magazine.

"I've heard about it, but I don't see it here. There are Nazis from Europe there, nationalists from Sweden, France and Italy; they are Europeans, who came as volunteers and support Ukraine right on the topic of racial and Aryan purity. As to the Chechens, who say 'let's take revenge on Russia', I hear only on the Internet," said Orhan Cemal, who is on a business trip to Ukraine.

He noted that during the oppositional protests on the Maydan, a certain woman from Chechnya was among active protesters.

"She figured on the Maydan. I saw no clear and understandable Caucasians on the Ukrainian side. These rumours are endless. On the opposite side, they talk about Ossetians – well, everybody sees them; but here, so many months have passed – and no evidence," concluded the journalist.

"Timer": about two hundred Chechens take part in the ATO

In its turn, the material posted on September 10 by the Odessa portal "Timer" asserts that "such Chechen militants like Ruslan Eltaev, Ilyas Musaev and Ibba Sheikhi have volunteered" to join in Donbas the peacekeeping battalion named after Johar Dudaev.

The above portal reports that apart from the "Johar Dudaev Battalion", Chechens are taking part, in fact, from the very beginning of the conflict, in various special battalions, "particularly, in the ranks of 'Aidar', and, according to unconfirmed sources, in 'Donbass' and 'Dnepr'."

Chechens participated in fighting in the north of the Luhansk Region (Schastye, Metallist), and in the south of Donetsk – near Starobeshevo and Ilovaysk, said the portal.

The "Timer" has treated the estimates of Isa Munaev, who announced three hundred fighters of the volunteer battalion, as exaggerated, arguing that in reality one can hardly speak about more than two hundred Chechens involved in the ATO.

The idea to recruit a battalion and transfer it to participate in combat operations in Donbas was received controversially by the Chechen Diaspora in Europe, said the "Timer".

"In particular, Musa Taipov, the 'Ambassador of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria' to France, has criticized Munaev's initiative, accusing him of appropriating the right to speak on behalf of the Chechen nation as a whole, and of the fact that the soldiers of the battalion in the future will have a very controversial legal status, which may affect them quite negatively on their return back to Europe," states the article named "Wolf's Banner over Donbas: Chechens on the Side of ATO Forces" and posted by the Odessa portal "Timer".

Earlier, officials of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic confirmed the participation of Chechen fighters in the armed conflict, while power agents and residents of Chechnya said, on the condition of anonymity, that special units of the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) were sent to the Rostov Region, to the border with Ukraine. Locals added that the above special units were staffed with the military personnel recruited locally (from the fighters of the former GRU (Chief Intelligence Directorate of the Russian General Staff) battalions "Zapad" (West) and "Vostok" (East), as well as from special battalions of the Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).

The Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has confirmed the presence of Chechen natives in the combat zone in Ukraine; however, he treated the rumours about any organized participation of Chechen special forces in the conflict as "absolute lie."

The fact that Russian servicemen are taking a direct part in the hostilities in the territory of Ukraine, and these Russia's actions fall within the definition of aggression, was announced on August 29 by the Board of the International Society "Memorial". According to members of the Russian Human Rights Council (HRC) Sergey Krivenko and Ella Polyakova, more than a thousand soldiers of the Russian Army were sent on August 13 to the territory of Ukraine.