23:22, 30 August 2004

'To be born a Chechen is a sentence in itself'

Refugees living in the Pankissi Gorge, Georgia, did not took part in the Chechen presidential election. A polling station was not even opened for them. They had weighty reasons for it: "There's war there; the election is just a falsification and nothing more", "now the situation isn't the one when elections should be held, no election is needed during war." It is their opinion concerning the election.

The refugees do not know who runs for the Chechen presidency. Though they are convinced the Kremlin's favorite will gain victory. After several years in Pankisi, the refugees hope for nothing and say to be born a Chechen is in itself a sentence, which they have been serving for all their life. They do not want come back to their homeland.

"I've brought up my children here and I don't want to go back to Chechnya and jeopardize their life," one of the refugees said.

Author: Natiya Djindcharadze, CK correspondent

Source: Caucasian Knot