"What Your Children Do Will Touch Upon You"

Punitive House-Burning in Chechnya

I. Summary

Methodology

II. Recommendations

To the Government of the Russian Federation

To Russia's International Partners

To the Council of Europe

III. Background

Second Chechnya War and "Chechenization" of the Conflict

Human Rights Abuses and Counterinsurgency in Chechnya

Nature of the Insurgency Today

Unlawful Tactics Used by Insurgents in Chechnya

IV. Punitive House-Burning

House-Burning as a Means of Persecution

2008: Surge in House-Burning

Government Responsibility for Punitive House-Burning

Official Responses to Allegations of House-Burning

House-Burning, Collective Punishment, and Russia's Legal Obligations

V. Punitive House-Burning Cases mid-July 2008 to March 2009

Shali District

Burning of the house of Beslan B.'s family, Shali

Repeated burning of the house of Rizvan R.'s family, Shali

Burning of the house of Sugaip S., Mesker-Yurt

Burning of the G. family house and subsequent torture of Azman A., Argun

Naur District

Burning of Vakha V. 's house and attempted kidnapping of his nephews, Sovetskaia Rossiya (Rubezhnoe) village

Burning of Mita M.'s house, Novoterskoe

Shatoi District

Burning of the house of Sapar S.'s family, Aslambek Sharipov village

Vedeno District

Burning of the house of Davlet D.'s family, Tevzani

Burning of the house of Abbali A.'s family, Tevzani

Burning of the house of Nazir N.'s family, Elistanzhi

Kurchaloi District

Burning of the three houses belonging to Tamerlan T.'s family, Ahkinchu-Barzoi

Burning of Isaxat I.'s house, Khidi-Khutor

Acknowledgments