23:04, 28 February 2007

Chechen refugees resident in Azerbaijan held a protest action

Today, several dozens of Chechens, who resettled to Azerbaijan after the start of military actions in Chechnya, have picketed the Baku office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) with a demand to provide all the Chechens who were forced to resettle to Azerbaijan with the refugee status or with the right to move to third countries.

The action participants are accusing the UN Office of breaching the 1951 UN Convention of Rights of Refugees. The Chechen refugees think that UN officials should increase financial aid to the refugees, as life has become more expensive in Azerbaijan. They have noted in the Human Rights Centre that the action participants have adopted an appeal containing a demand to provide them with the status of refugees, sending to third countries and payment of monthly money allowance. So far, nobody has reacted to refugees' demands.

The press service has reported that today about 9000 resettlers from Chechnya reside in Azerbaijan, and, as far as possible, the Commissariat is rendering material help to them.

Author: Zaur Rasulzade, CK correspondent